A King's Daughter
by Amalthea-Shine
Summary: A young woman from our world is transported to Middle Earth with her cousin, where she learns a shocking secret about her identity.
1. Chapter 1

Just a crazy idea that I've had in my head for a while now. Thought I better write it down before I forget it.

Summary: A young woman from our world is transported to Middle Earth with her cousin, where she learns a shocking secret about her identity.

Disclaimer: I do not own _The Hobbit_. All of that belongs to Tolkien. I only own my OCs and plotline.

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Chapter 1: Transport

_Sarah ran through the darkness, desperately trying to escape what was chasing her. She couldn't tell what it was; she only knew that it would kill her if it caught her. No way was she letting that happen. The chase continued for what seemed like hours, and Sarah's strength was spent. Just as she was about to give up and collapse, a light appeared before her. It grew brighter as she got closer, and Sarah forgot about her exhaustion. _

_A figure appeared in the light; a woman. Her light blond hair went all the way to the ground; her dress was pure white and glittered like hundreds of diamonds; her blue eyes held love and warmth, but they also said something else._

"_Come to me, my child," she called to Sarah._

_Sarah ran to the angel, for surely that was the only thing this woman could be. The angel held out her hand to Sarah, who reached out and was about to grab it, but the angel and the light vanished before she could reach her._

Sarah's eyes reluctantly opened as the sun shone on her face through the window. She rubbed them as she sat up.

_So strange, _she thought. _That woman. I almost felt like I knew her. But how could that be? I've never seen her before in my life._

Before she could ponder anymore on the angelic woman from her dream, a pillow landed in her face.

"Wakey, wakey, princess."

Sarah's cousin Edana, who had come with Sarah's aunt to live with her and her family, sat down on her bed. Comparing the two girls, a stranger wouldn't think they were related. Sarah's hair, which had started out blond, slowly grew darker as the years passed until it was a mousy brown. Edana was a ginger. While Sarah was more calm, preferring to go somewhere quiet and read a good book, Edana was a ball of energy, always looking for something to do. Sarah preferred the company of animals while Edana had no problem making human friends.

They had plenty in common, though. They both liked to have fun, usually with each other. They both liked fantasy stories, even if Edana usually only watched the movies while Sarah read the books first. They also had both lost their fathers, but they would rather not think about that.

"Better get ready quick," Edana said. "The moms want to do some shopping first before we head to the bowling alley."

"There is something seriously wrong with having that much energy this early in the morning," Sarah mumbled. "Doesn't your fire ever go out?"

"Not that I know of, princess."

Sarah smiled. One time at a souvenir shop a few years back, they had seen some keychains that had a person's name on it and gave its meaning. Curious, they looked up their own names. Sarah was able to find hers among the keychains: princess. Edana's wasn't there, so they went to the internet. Her name meant "fire." Since then, they would always joke with each other about their names. It never got old.

"C'mon. Get dressed and get some breakfast. We're leaving in one hour." Edana got up and walked out of the room.

As Sarah got up and began to dress for the day, she thought back to the woman from her dream. There had been something else in the angel's eyes. Sarah didn't know what it was. She just knew it wasn't good. She thought about it more. As she and her family walked out of the house to start their day, Sarah finally identified it.

The angel had been afraid.

* * *

Sarah collapsed on her bed after dinner that night and reached for a book on her night stand. It was the same one she had been reading the night before and put aside when she could no longer keep her eyes open. One of her favorites, she had read it a few times already. She just wanted to read it again.

"I would ask what fictional world you would want to live in if you had a choice," Edana said as she walked in, "but then I saw the cover of your book."

Sarah smiled and looked at the cover. On the front of the book, in big bold letters, was written _The Hobbit._

"What world would you want to live in?" Sarah asked.

"Middle Earth," Edana answered. "We could go visit The Shire and Rivendell and Erebor together. What race would you want to be?"

"Easy. Elf. You?"

"I don't know," Edana said. "Definitely not an orc or goblin. I wouldn't want to be an elf. I know they're better at everything, but I don't like the idea of living forever. I have trouble just making it into next week, never mind all of time itself."

"It's not like they can't die at all," Sarah told her. "They can still be killed."

"Still, scratch 'elf' off the list," Edana went on. "I already know what it's like being human: boring." Sarah laughed. "I wouldn't want to be a dwarf. Don't like the idea of a beard. Hobbits are okay, but I wouldn't be able to wear shoes and I want to go on adventures instead of staying home and just cooking all day, no matter how much I like food."

"Hobbits can go on adventures, too," Sarah said, holding up her book.

"And no one likes them when they come back."

"You've ruled out pretty much every race there is in Middle Earth," Sarah pointed out.

"The ones that are most well known at least," Edana replied.

Before Sarah could say something else, the room started shaking. Earthquake! Edana grabbed Sarah's hand and the two girls headed for the doorframe. But before they could reach it, the ground beneath their feet gave way and they fell, passing out.

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Not a bad first chapter. Did you like it? What do you think? Leave me a review and let me know.


	2. Chapter 2

Migitmoocow: You got what you wanted. Middle Earth, here they come!

Disclaimer: I do not own "The Hobbit."

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Chapter 2: Waking Up and Running

Sarah came to slowly.

She opened her eyes, and almost thought that maybe she hadn't. It was so dark. Her eyes eventually adjusted and allowed her to get a glimpse of her surroundings. Trees that were so dark they were almost black; any vegetation on the ground was just as dark; the canopy of branches and leaves blocked out most of the sun, leaving just the tiniest of slivers to let her see.

Sarah already had a bad feeling about this forest just from looking at it, but what terrified her most of all was that she couldn't hear anything. There was no wind, no animal sounds, no voices. Unless she had suddenly gone deaf, this forest was absolutely silent.

A groan sounded next to her. She wasn't deaf! Sarah looked and saw Edana lying on the ground next to her. She started shaking her cousin.

"Edana," she whispered, "wake up."

Edana's eyes fluttered before opening completely. She looked up at Sarah.

"What happened?" she asked. "Where are we? What. . ."

"Shh." Sarah held a finger to her lips and Edana stopped talking. "I don't know where we are," she continued, still whispering, "but I don't like this place. It's too dark and silent. I feel like something's watching us, waiting in the shadows for the perfect opportunity to catch us by surprise."

"Normally I would say that you're being paranoid," Edana whispered back, "except I'm getting that creepy vibe too."

The girls were silent for a moment as they looked at the forest around them.

"We have to get out of here," Sarah finally said after a minute.

"We don't know what's out there," Edana protested. "We don't even know how big this forest is. We could be dead before even getting close to the end."

"It's better that staying here and waiting to die of dehydration and starvation," Sarah told her. "We have to move."

Edana didn't argue more. She just nodded, and the two girls stood up. They picked a random direction and started walking. They held hands the entire way, not wanting to lose each other.

After walking for what felt like hours, the two girls sat down for a quick rest. They massaged their legs and feet, the latter of which were covered only by thin socks. About five minutes later they started walking again. A few more hours passed before they stopped again. They both were hungry, tired, and scared. They hadn't seen a single living creature, a splash of color of some kind to brighten the dark mood, or any sign of an end to the forest.

"I know I've said it before," Edana whispered, "but this place is seriously creepy."

"No arguments there," Sarah whispered back.

Just because they hadn't seen any animals or people didn't mean there wasn't any out there. Both girls could feel eyes on them. The eerie silence was just as bad. Even whispering sounded like a bomb going off in this forest that was devoid of all sound.

They were about to start moving again when a branch snapped somewhere. The two girls froze. The sound echoed around them, making it difficult to pinpoint where the sound came from. This was the first sound they heard in the forest, which made the girls feel like they had just entered a horror movie. Looking around, they couldn't see what had made the noise.

Sarah slowly lowered herself to the ground and picked up a thick branch, gesturing to Edana to do the same. Once both girls were somewhat armed, they grabbed each other's hand and slowly started walking again. They glanced into the trees as they walked, keeping an eye out for whatever was in the forest with them. Both of them were imagining what it could possibly be. They hadn't been walking long when they got their answer.

They heard two more snaps, one on their right and one behind them. The girls jumped and looked all around them. Nothing.

Since hearing the first snap, something had been tugging at Sarah's mind; a feeling of sorts, and it wasn't a good feeling. At first she couldn't tell the direction of the tugging, but now it pulled in the direction the snaps came from. She didn't know if that was just her paranoia or if it was something else. It pulled above her. Sarah looked up. . . and screamed.

A spider the size of a large pony was crawling down from the canopy.

Edana saw what Sarah was looking at and screamed as well. Sarah felt more tugging in different directions. Looking wherever she felt a tug, she saw more spiders just as big as, or bigger than, the first one she saw. Wasting no time, Sarah grabbed Edana's hand and ran in a direction where she felt no tugs. The chase began.

The girls ran, Edana following Sarah, who changed direction according to what she was now mentally referring to as her spider-sense. For a while the plan worked, but it wasn't going to keep them safe forever.

All of a sudden, Sarah skidded to a halt. Edana was only just able to stop herself from crashing into her cousin. Sarah looked around, concentrating on her feelings, double-checking to make sure they were right. They were.

The spiders had surrounded the girls.

Amazingly, their flight hadn't caused them to lose the branches they had grabbed. They held them up like swords now and stood back-to-back. They could do nothing but watch as the spiders closed in.

"Sarah," Edana said, no longer whispering since there was no point, "if we die, I just want you to know that you're the best cousin ever. You're like the sister I wish I had."

"And I want you to know that you're the best cousin ever," Sarah replied. "I wish you actually were my sister and my sister was actually my cousin."

"I know we probably aren't going to make it out of this alive, so let's just make sure these spiders remember us."

"See you in Heaven."

The girls prepared themselves as the spiders came into the clearing. They were ready to put their (nonexistent) baseball skills to the test when the spiders suddenly stopped advancing. Sarah and Edana looked around in confusion. The spiders obviously wanted to keep moving forwards, but something was stopping them. They started talking.

"The fire!"

"That one burns!"

"It hurts!"

The spiders kept talking about a copper fire burning inside one of their prey. The girls could tell they were referring to one of them, but they had no idea what they meant by a copper fire.

Thwack!

One of the spiders fell, dead, an arrow protruding from its head. More spiders fell, all from arrows that seemed to come out of nowhere. Something dropped from above and the girls turned around, raising their branches. They were met with a figure pointing an arrow right at them. New sounds were heard around them, and the girls looked to see more people pointing arrows at them.

They couldn't make out any details at first, but the tiniest sliver of light peaked through the canopy at that moment, making it much easier for the girls to see their saviors. It was basically all men, as far as they could tell, with long hair, pointed ears, and clothes that blended in with the forest. It didn't take long for Sarah to figure it out.

These were elves! They were in Mirkwood!

"Did you really think those twigs would do you any good?"

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So what did you think of this one? Leave me a review.


	3. Chapter 3

Migitmoocow: Mirkwood and the elves who live there are always fun to write about.

the little vampire lover: Glad you like it. Here's the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own "The Hobbit."

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_Recap:_

"_Did you really think those twigs would do you any good?"_

Chapter 3: Elves of Mirkwood.

Sarah turned to face Legolas, the elf that had dropped down from above them.

"Desperate situations call for desperate solutions," Sarah said. "When your back is against the wall, you do what you can with whatever you have."

Legolas lowered his bow.

"You would have been dead in less than a minute. Why were you in these woods unarmed in the first place?"

"We don't know how we got here and we don't know why," Sarah replied. "We're lost. We were trying to find a way out when the spiders attacked."

"How does an elf become lost in the kingdoms of her kin?"

"Elf?"

"Sarah!" Edana exclaimed. "What happened to you?"

Sarah reached up to touch her ears. Instead of the normal, human shape, they felt pointed. She pulled a bit of her hair forward and saw that it was now the same shade of pale blond as Legolas'. Though she couldn't see them, Sarah would bet her eyes, normally a shade of hazel, were now blue. She turned to her cousin and her jaw dropped.

"What happened to _me_? What happened to _you_?"

Edana's hair was now a bright red at the top of her head, getting lighter the further down it grew until it was a very pale shade of yellow. Her ears were still the same, so she wasn't an elf. What caught Sarah's eyes were Edana's; they were a dark, golden yellow color.

The girls hadn't been able to notice these details in the dark, but now, with the light, their transformations were clear as day.

"You will have time to admire each other's looks later," Legolas said. "For now, you will return to the palace with us. The king does not allow trespassers, but we do not imprison our own kind, so perhaps he will make an exception for you and your friend."

The elves started moving, with Legolas going to the front of the line. The girls were put in the middle of the group.

"You're not going to search us?" Edana asked.

"If you had been carrying any weapons," Legolas called back to her, "you would not have attempted to defend yourselves with branches that would be as harmless to a spider as a flower petal.

The other elves laughed and Edana shrugged, seeing the point Legolas made.

"What's the date?" Sarah asked out of curiosity.

"February 9, year 2502 of the Third Age," Legolas answered. Sarah began to mentally create a timeline of what Middle Earth history she knew so she that would have some idea of where they were at. The rest of the journey was made in silence.

The sun was beginning to set when the group reached the palace gates. Sarah and Edana were practically sleep-walking, so they didn't notice much of their surroundings. Their movements were almost robotic. Legolas handed them off to two elf maids that were made responsible for baths, new clothes, and beds to sleep in that night. He then went to report to the king.

Baths were first. Sarah and Edana might have fallen asleep in the warm water, but the elves had lit scented candles with a strong fragrance that was meant to keep them awake. The girls were each given sponges and cloths, soap, shampoo, and combs.

"Would you like any assistance?" one of the elves asked.

"No, thank you," Sarah replied. The elves told them to call if they needed anything, then left the girls to their own devices.

Sarah and Edana had taken plenty of baths together when they were younger, and they had developed a sort of system, so they knew what to do. First, Sarah would wash Edana's hair while Edana washed her face, and then Edana would wash Sarah's hair while Sarah took care of her face. Next, Sarah would wash Edana's back while Edana washed her arms and torso, and then vice versa. After that, they would each wash their own legs and feet.

Once they were done washing, they would get out and dry themselves off. Sarah would then comb out and braid Edana's hair, Edana then doing the same for Sarah. The system worked quite well for them, and baths together didn't take them very long. At least it kept them awake.

Both girls were too tired to talk, so their bath was much quieter than other times. They didn't even comment on how long each other's hair had grown. What had normally gone just past their shoulders now went down past their waists. It didn't really surprise them, considering the other physical changes.

The only conversation the entire time happened when Edana was washing Sarah's back and had pushed her hair to the side, revealing her neck.

"When did you get a tattoo?" Edana asked, confused. Sarah hated the idea of tattoos.

"I never got a tattoo," Sarah said, also confused.

"Well, then that's the most detailed birthmark I've ever seen," Edana said. "Though I'm pretty sure I've never seen a birthmark like this before."

"What birthmark?" Sarah asked.

"You've got a mark right here on the back of your neck," Edana informed her. "It kind of looks like some sort of Celtic knot with an elk's head in the middle."

"Celtic knot? Elk's head?"

"Yeah. Like the kind of knot we see on merchandise at renaissance fairs, and Thranduil's elk."

Sarah frowned. As far as she knew, she had never had a birthmark of any kind on the back of her neck. Certainly not one so detailed that it was mistaken for a tattoo. She didn't reply, and the silence returned.

The girls finished their bath and got out, finding fresh towels waiting for them. They dried off quickly and then each wrapped a towel around them. They took their turns sitting down while the other did their hair. They were too tired to do anything more than a simple three-strand braid.

As soon as Edana had finished Sarah's hair, the two elves returned with undergarments and night dresses. They left to allow them to get dressed privately. The girls dressed and then left the baths, walking into the simple guest bedroom with two beds that was attached to the baths. The girls each took one of the beds and were asleep before their heads hit the pillows.

* * *

Sarah woke up to the familiar smells of fresh bread and cut fruit. She sat up, yawned and stretched, and looked over at Edana's bed, only to find it empty. She looked around to see Edana seated at a small table with two chairs, two sets of dishes and silverware, and a tray of food.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," Edana said after sipping a red drink that Sarah really hoped was nothing alcoholic, knowing the elves' love of wine. "Relax. It's just juice. C'mon. You must be starving. I know I was."

Sarah's stomach chose that moment to let out a very loud growl. She smiled as Edana laughed, then joined her at the table. They had just finished their breakfast of fruit, bread, cheese, and pomegranate juice when the door opened. The same two elves from last night walked in, each carrying a bundle of colorful fabric.

"The king has requested your presence," one of them said. "Prince Legolas will take you to him when you are properly dressed."

They handed each of the girls an elaborate dress and asked if they would like any assistance. The girls politely refused, wishing rather to figure out the gowns by themselves. It was actually easier than they thought it would be, with the two of them working together. After they were dressed, they took the braids out of their hair and combed through it. They walked out when they were done and were greeted by Legolas.

As they walked, Legolas gave them some advice for when they met the king.

"Try not to antagonize or anger him. Definitely do not insult him. He is already suspicious of you both. Answer his questions clearly and to the best of your ability, even if you are unsure of the answer. Pay attention to what he is saying and do not interrupt him, even if what he says makes you want to slap him."

"I'm guessing that sort of thing happens a lot?" Edana commented as Sarah hid a smile.

"More times that he knows."

They entered the throne room, and Legolas gestured for the girls to walk in front of him now. Sarah and Edana held hands as they made their way across the walkway and up the stairs to where the Elvenking of Mirkwood sat upon his throne.

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So what did you think of this one? Please leave me a review.

Next up, Thranduil!


	4. Chapter 4

the little vampire lover: Glad you love it. Here's the update.

Mystic Myra 8: Here's the next chapter you've been eagerly waiting for. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own "The Hobbit."

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Chapter 4: Meeting Thranduil

Sarah felt very small as she stood next to Edana, looking up at the Elvenking sitting on his throne high above their heads. She was grateful for the fancy dress she had been given; she never would have had the courage to face him in clothes she would normally wear back at home. Thranduil looked down on the two girls with a stoic face. Sarah wondered what was going on inside that immortal mind of his. Then again, she probably didn't want to know.

"So you are the two trespassers my son found in the forest," Thranduil stated.

"That depends on your definition of 'trespassing,'" Edana began. "The dictionary definition is 'to enter someone else's land without permission.' I don't think it counts if the so-called trespasser is unaware that he or she is trespassing, especially if they don't know where they are in the first place." Sarah facepalmed. "What!?" Edana exclaimed when she saw her cousin.

The king glared at Edana before asking for their names. They gave them to him. Thranduil then turned his attention mainly to Sarah.

"My son tells me you were unaware that you are an elf."

"Yes," Sarah replied.

"Why?"

"Because until he found us and pointed it out to me, I had been a human."

"Are you saying that you suddenly transformed into an elf?" The king asked with a doubting voice.

"I had seen myself in mirrors plenty of times before yesterday," Sarah answered. "I was most certainly not an elf then."

Thranduil gave her one last thoughtful look before turning to Edana.

"You are not human either," he said. "That much I can tell. So what are you?"

"No clue," Edana said. "My situation is the same as my cousin's, with the exception being that I didn't turn into an elf."

"You two cannot possibly be cousins," Thranduil said. "You are not even of the same species."

"Our fathers were brothers," Sarah told him, "which makes us cousins. We don't know why we became an elf and a. . . a. . ." At a loss for words, Sarah looked at Edana.

"A 'whatever,'" Edana said. Sarah rolled her eyes before turning back to the king.

"We don't know why we became. . . what we are when we woke up in the forest," she said.

"What do you mean you 'woke up in the forest'?" Thranduil asked.

"There was an earthquake," Edana began. "Sarah and I were running to safety when the ground gave way beneath us. We passed out and woke up in the forest."

Thranduil raised one eyebrow, as if he didn't quite believe her story. Instead of asking her to elaborate, he changed the subject.

"Legolas said the spiders were talking instead of attacking you when he approached the area. What were they discussing?"

"Something about a copper fire burning in one of. . ."

Edana stopped talking as the king stood up suddenly, shock and disbelief on his face.

"A fire? Are you absolutely sure they said a 'copper fire'?" His voice was low. The girls could still hear him clearly, but he had been talking quite a bit louder until that point.

"Positive," Edana said. Both girls were looking at him in confusion, wondering why what the spiders said could change him so suddenly like that.

"Which one of you did the spiders say had the copper fire?" the king asked.

"We don't know," Sarah answered. "They didn't specify."

"Could you sense them?"

"What?"

"Could you sense where the spiders were?" Thranduil asked. "Could you know where the spiders were without looking?" Sarah's heart stopped.

"I couldn't," Edana answered. "Sarah, however, seemed to know where they were. We were able to evade them for a while thanks to her before they finally surrounded us."

Thranduil was silent for a moment as he looked at Sarah, who grew very nervous under his piercing gaze. After a while he called for Legolas, who had been standing nearby and now came up the stairs to stand behind the girls.

"Escort Edana back to her room," Thranduil commanded. "I need to have a few private words with Lady Sarah."

Legolas gave his father a curious look before offering his arm to Edana, who simply looked at Sarah.

"Go," Sarah told her cousin. "I'll be fine."

But as Edana walked away with Legolas, Sarah felt her heart beat faster than she had ever thought possible. She forced herself to breathe and stand still as Thranduil descended from his throne to stand in front of her, not taking his eyes off her for even a second. Her knees felt like they were going to give out at any second, and she would have preferred the silence of Mirkwood forest to the silence she was experiencing now. She was starting to make plans to turn and run when Thranduil finally spoke.

"Who are you?"

Sarah blinked. Whatever she was expecting him to say, it certainly wasn't that.

"I'm not sure what you mean by that," she said, forcing her voice not to squeak.

"Who are you?" Thranduil repeated. "Who are your parents? Where do you come from? How old are you?"

"What?" was the only response she could give him at that point. "Why are you asking me all these questions? What does this have to do with what the spiders said?"

Thranduil ignored her questions. He started to walk around her. Sarah stood still, following him with her eyes until she couldn't see him anymore. She looked to her other side and waited for him to come around. Instead she felt a hand on the back of her neck, pushing her hair to the side and revealing the mark that Edana claimed was there.

"Impossible," she heard him whisper.

Sarah turned around and swatted the king's arm away from her. She looked at him, ready with a few choice words for him, but stopped when she saw his face.

He was crying.

"Who are you?" he asked a third time.

Before Sarah could think of something to say, a new, yet familiar, voice spoke up.

"That is enough!"

Sarah and Thranduil looked to see Gandalf standing there, his face contorted with anger.

"This girl has been through enough already, Thranduil. She does not need you interrogating her on top of it all."

"You know something about this," Thranduil said. It was not a question, but a statement.

"Indeed, I do," Gandalf said, "but now is not the time to tell her story."

"It is the perfect time. How could you keep this knowledge from me?"

Now Thranduil was looking angry. The two men obviously knew what the other was talking about. Sarah was still in the dark, however. Gandalf moved to stand between her and the Elvenking, shielding her from his view.

"I will send her someplace far away from here if you try to gain that knowledge before I believe you are ready to hear it," he said in a very threatening voice. He noticed someone coming up behind Thranduil. "Legolas, please take Sarah to rejoin her cousin."

Legolas gently took Sarah's arm and led her away. She made sure to keep as far away from the king as she could until they were down the stairs and walking away. She could hear Thranduil and Gandalf talking in rapid elvish until she was too far away, but she couldn't understand any of it. She and Legolas were silent as he quickly escorted her back to the room she shared with Edana, who was waiting for them when Legolas opened the door.

"Oh, my gosh, Sarah, are you alright?" Edana asked as she hugged her cousin.

Legolas left them like that, shutting the door behind them. As soon as it was closed, Sarah's legs gave in and she fell to the floor. She held onto Edana like her life depended on it.

"What happened?" her cousin asked. "Legolas handed me off as soon as he could and went back to get you. What did the king talk to you about? Did he hurt you?" Sarah shook her head.

"He didn't hurt me," she said. "It was strange. He started asking about my parents and how old I was, and he kept asking me 'Who are you?' And then he saw the mark on my neck and Gandalf showed up and. . ."

"Gandalf's here?" Edana interrupted her. Sarah nodded.

"He knows something about me," she continued. "The king does too. . . I think. I don't know what's going on. I want to go home."

Sarah started crying. Edana held her as she let her cousin cry, planning in her head what to say when she next saw Thranduil and Gandalf.

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So what did you think? Answers about Gandalf's appearance and the copper fire and Thranduil's behavior in the next chapter.

There is also a line from a movie somewhere in here. Cyber-cookies if you can find out which quote from which movie.

Please review.


	5. Chapter 5

SparklesJustReads: Here are those answers. Enjoy!

Mystic Myra 8: Why are you perturbed?

Guest: Thanks for the reviews. You can stop guessing now.

TheGreenTea: All right. Here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it.

pink bunny: Thanks. Keep reading.

jessi: Here's the chapter, so you can stop waiting.

For those of you who couldn't guess, the quote was by Gonzo from "Muppets: Treasure Island."

Disclaimer: I do not own "The Hobbit."

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Chapter 5: Story of the Past

It was one month before Sarah got her answers.

The two elf maidens who had taken care of them when they first arrived, whose names they discovered were Adlanniel and Mirima, found them work to do as they waited. Sometimes they were in the kitchens, other times they worked with the cleaning staff, other times found them working with clothing, and anything else that they could think of. They did have free time, which they used to explore the palace and learn their way around.

They met Legolas occasionally, who was very kind to them. He would ask how they were settling in and what they were doing and what they liked the most about the palace and the elves who lived there. He didn't mention anything that had to do with their first meeting with Thranduil. They didn't see the Elvenking or Gandalf at all during that month. Every time Edana tried to bring them up Legolas would change the subject or politely excuse himself. Sarah was content to wait patiently until Gandalf was ready to talk. She was curious, of course. She just didn't let that curiosity show.

There was one other thing that occupied most of her thoughts. Whenever she was near animals, she could hear their thoughts in her head. She could tell what kind of animal was near even if she couldn't see them. She started being able to sense their individual auras. If you put her in a pen of identical animals, she could pick out which ones she had met before and be able to tell you how long she had known them.

Any animal she met took a liking to her almost immediately, except the ones with very bad attitudes. They all spoke of a copper fire burning in her, but it didn't hurt them as it did the spiders. Sarah tried asking what they meant, but none of them could give her a clear answer. She wasn't able to speak to them in her mind as they could with her, but she was slowly working on it. She made a mental note to ask Gandalf and Thranduil about all of this the next time she saw them.

One month after their arrival, Sarah and Edana were finishing breakfast in their room when Adlanniel and Mirima entered.

"The king has requested the presence of Lady Sarah," Adlanniel said. "As soon as you are dressed, Prince Legolas will escort you."

Their wardrobes since arriving, with the exception of when they were introduced to the Elvenking, consisted of simple dresses, working clothes. They were still of greater quality than anything Sarah had previously owned, though she would have preferred meeting the Elvenking again wearing something other than what she wore to clean floors.

The girls dressed and went outside, where they found Legolas waiting to escort Sarah to his father. Edana was hesitant to let her cousin go alone, but Sarah reassured her. She took the arm Legolas offered and walked with him to Thranduil's private rooms. There, she found Gandalf and the Elvenking.

Gandalf smiled at her and gestured for her to sit on one of the soft couches placed throughout the room before taking a seat across from her. Thranduil was already seated, wearing more casual clothes, switching back and forth from glancing at Sarah to glaring at Gandalf, who ignored him. Legolas took his leave after Sarah was seated. The wizard wasted no time getting started.

"It is quite a long tale," he began, "and I would like to get through as much as I can with as few interruptions as possible."

"I do not care how long your tale is, wizard," Thranduil said, "as long as it gives me the answers I need." He was looking at Sarah again, so he didn't see the glare Gandalf sent his way.

"First of all," Gandalf continued, "I should explain the copper fire the spiders spoke of."

"Not just the spiders," Sarah spoke up. "Every animal I've encountered since coming here has spoken of a copper fire in me." The two men looked at her with curiosity written on their faces. "I can hear their voices in my mind."

"That fire," Gandalf said, "is magic, and magic of the rarest kind in elves: wild magic."

"Animal magic?" The two men once again gave her curious looks.

"You have heard of it?" Gandalf asked.

"There's a story," Sarah began, "where I came from. It's the story of a girl who discovers that her 'knack' with animals is really magic. She can heal them, talk to them telepathically, transform into them. She can also force them to do her will, but she prefers not to. That's what I have?"

"Indeed," Gandalf confirmed. "Your magic is much stronger than what I have seen before, and it will only grow stronger with proper training."

"There have been others with wild magic?" Sarah asked.

"Only one," Gandalf answered. "At least, only one that I know of. Like I said, your magic is rare in elves. The last case was lady who lived many years ago. Her name was Meldamiriel."

"My wife," Thranduil whispered.

Sarah looked at him. She didn't know anything about Thranduil's wife. She had, of course, been curious and searched the internet, but, as Tolkien had never mentioned her, there was really no material to go off of. The only conclusion everyone seemed to come to was that she was dead.

"How is it that I have this magic?" Sarah asked.

"Because Meldamiriel was your mother," Gandalf said.

Sarah's jaw dropped.

"What?"

"I sent you away at your mother's request," Gandalf continued, "and brought you back now because I knew it was safe for you to return."

"But if Meldamiriel was my mother, then that means. . ." Sarah stopped talking and looked at the Elvenking. If his wife was her mother, then that meant Thranduil was her father!

Thranduil turned away from her and pulled his hair to the side, revealing his neck. Visible against his pale skin was a mark: a Celtic knot with an elk's head in the middle. It was the same mark Edana had described was on the back of Sarah's neck.

"This mark began with my father, King Oropher," Thranduil explained as he let his hair down and turned to face her again. "Its purpose is to show those who are of his descent. Legolas has an identical mark." Now she knew why he had looked for it.

Sarah didn't know how to react to this news. Her name meant 'princess,' and now she was finding out that she was one, and that her father was an elf king that she had only read about as a character in a book and seen in movies.

"Why did you not tell me of my daughter's existence, Gandalf?" Thranduil asked angrily. Sarah snapped out of her daze.

"What do you mean 'why didn't he tell you?'" she asked in the same tone. "Why didn't you already know about me?"

"If you'll remember, Thranduil," Gandalf began, "you had been away visiting Rivendell." Thranduil nodded slowly as he remembered. "Between the journey there and back, plus the time you actually spent in Rivendell, you were away for eleven months. Meldamiriel found out not long after you left."

"Why did I not receive word when she did?"

"From what I heard, she wanted to surprise you," Gandalf said with a smile.

"She succeeded," Thranduil said. "But this still does not explain why my daughter was sent away."

"Do you remember that time orcs attacked you on the road and the wargs began acting odd?" Gandalf asked. Thranduil nodded once again. "They saw Meldamiriel's magic, and I believe she actually forced her will on them. The orcs began to fear her power; they rely heavily on wargs as both steeds and soldiers. Someone with wild magic could potentially control their wargs, stopping them from attacking their enemies and possibly convincing them to attack their masters. A small band of them attacked and fatally wounded Meldamiriel late into her pregnancy."

"I remember," Thranduil said quietly. "I returned from Rivendell the day after the attack. I was able to see my wife one last time, for only a few minutes, before she died."

"She had just enough strength to give birth to Sarah and wait to see you again," Gandalf said. "She sent her daughter away because she was afraid that the orcs would hunt down and kill her as well if they found out she had the same magic. She made everyone in the palace swear an oath of secrecy concerning Sarah, and Legolas had gone with you to Rivendell so he did not even know about her."

Thranduil looked at Sarah with tears in his eyes. For a long time, no one said anything. Gandalf finally spoke up.

"Shall I leave the two of you alone?"

"No," Sarah said quickly, standing up. "This is a lot for me to take in. I. . . I need some time."

Without another word, she turned and ran out of the room, not looking back when Thranduil called her name. She just kept running, not caring where she was going. She just had to get away.

!#$ $%^&amp;^%(*&amp;^#$%^&amp;*(^)(&amp;^*%&amp;^%# %$%^*&amp;&amp;^)*%&amp;^%# !

So what did you think? Cyber-cookies if you can guess what book Sarah was referring to.

The name I chose for Thranduil's wife means "dear jewel."

There are images on my deviantart account of these scenes. I keep forgetting to mention that. My account name on that website is ldsbabe. Check them out if you want.

Please review.


	6. Chapter 6

Mystic Myra 8: Your waiting is over.

pink bunny: Here it is.

Guest 1: Don't worry. I've got a sequel story in mind that will feature Edana as the main character.

Guest 2: Thank you.

Disclaimer: I do not own "The Hobbit."

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Chapter 6: Ears and Fears

Sarah didn't know how long she was running. She wasn't aware of how fast she was going or all the places and people she passed. Anyone who saw or heard her coming got out of her way as fast as they could. Sarah didn't notice when she nearly crashed into Edana, who was pulled to the side at the last minute by her fellow workers. She didn't hear her cousin calling out to her as she ran away.

Her mind was numb.

When she finally stopped, she heard a chorus of animal voices in her mind. Looking around, Sarah found that she had run all the way to the elk stables. Large heads leaned out of their stalls, and all of them were asking if she was alright and what was wrong and why was she crying.

Sarah wiped her hands on her cheeks to find that she had indeed been crying. Drying her face, she went to each individual elk to give them a head rub and insure them that she was fine.

_You are not fine_ said a deep yet kind voice as she came to the last elk. Idhrenion, Thranduil's personal elk, looked at Sarah as she approached him. _Something has upset you greatly. Tell me._

Sarah unlatched the gate to Idhrenion's stall and walked in, noticing that it had just been cleaned and fresh straw had been laid down. A hay bale that had been pushed up against the wall provided her with a place to sit. Idhrenion waited until she was seated comfortably before walking up and resting his head in her lap. Sarah rubbed his face and neck as she spoke.

"I just learned that my copper fire everyone's been talking about is magic," she said, hoping to avoid the real issue.

_I knew that _Idhrenion said. _The copper fire is in all animals, but none burn as brightly as you. You are surprised?_

"I suspected that it might be magic," Sarah answered, "but it's one thing to have a theory and another thing to find out you're right."

_Indeed. But this is not the reason for your tears. _Sarah mentally groaned. _I heard that._

If this had been any other time, Sarah would have been excited that her efforts of mental communication with an animal had finally worked or laughed at Idhrenion's last comment. Now, though, she could only give the elk a pathetic attempt at a smile before speaking again.

"King Thranduil is my father."

_I knew that as well. I could tell by your scent when you first came here. _Sarah wasn't surprised to hear that. _This upsets you?_

"Obviously."

_Why? _Idhrenion asked. _The king is a good man. He does tend to have an occasional bad day, and he does have a bit of an attitude. Other than that, any elf maiden would be proud to call herself Thranduil's daughter._

"But I'm not 'any elf maiden,'" Sarah said. "I'm just a one-time human girl who woke up in a completely different world one month ago to find out that her family isn't actually her family and that her real father is a freaking elven king, for crying out loud!"

Idhrenion laughed at her language, then nuzzled her face.

_Give yourself some time to let it all sink in _he said. _Get to know your father and let him get to know you. Soon you will see that your fears were nothing but silly paranoia._

"You don't understand," Sarah said in a low voice.

_Understand what? _Idhrenion asked. _Explain it to me._

"My previous family included a father," Sarah began. "He would seem like such a nice man if you met him on the street, but he was different at home. He wasn't the kind of man I was proud to call my father. I was actually happy when he died."

As she spoke, Sarah's mind flashed back through all her memories of her father: calling her 'stupid' and 'idiot' when she came home with grades that were less than one hundred percent; the parties and activities he had forbidden her to attend for whatever reason he could come up with; her toys and books that he took away from her if he thought they were useless or a waste of time; all of her many attempts to please her father that only ended in more criticism and disappointed glares; and various other memories that were equally unpleasant. He never hurt her physically, but he seemed to have made it his mission in life to make her feel like she was the most worthless girl in existence.

He had almost succeeded when he had died suddenly of cancer, and Sarah felt a huge weight lifted from her shoulders.

She was free.

"I've suffered a broken heart at the hands of a father before," Sarah continued. "I'm afraid of it happening again." This time, Sarah could feel the tears as they fell from her eyes and ran down her cheeks.

_Thranduil would no more break your heart than he could command the sun to never set _Idhrenion said. _Do not be afraid, princess. You are safe._

The excitement of the day and the effort of her long run finally caught up with Sarah. She laid down on the hay bale and closed her eyes, the protective presence of Idhrenion comforting her as she fell asleep.

* * *

A figure emerged from the shadows and walked over to Idhrenion's stall. He entered, unafraid of the great elk who was well known for being very picky and attacking anyone he didn't like if they came too close to him. The figure walked over to the elf maiden asleep on a hay bale. He watched her for a moment, then reached out to brush a few strands of hair away from her face.

"I will never hurt you, my daughter," King Thranduil whispered. "Please know that." He watched her for a few minutes before gently picking her up and walking out of the stables.

Thranduil did not care how many people saw him as he carried his daughter back to her temporary quarters. Edana, who arrived at the same time he did, opened the door for him when she saw her sleeping cousin in his arms. She also gave him quite a death glare, which he of course either didn't notice or chose to ignore.

Thranduil set Sarah down on her bed before removing her shoes and pulling the covers up to her chin. He took one more look at his daughter before silently walking out. He went back to his private quarters where he remained for the rest of the day, crying until he had no more tears to cry.

# $%#^&amp;^**())(*&amp;%$^%!# #$%^&amp;((^*%&amp;$^!#$%^&amp;*()*(*#%&amp; $#%# !

So what did you think of that? Thranduil may seem a little OOC here, but who knows what he does when no one can see him.

I chose a random elf name for the elk. Didn't want to call him something like 'Bambi.'

No one has guessed what book Sarah was talking about in the last chapter. That is still open for guessing.

Please review.


	7. Chapter 7

Pink bunny: I do think he feels strong emotions like everyone else. He's just very good at hiding those emotions from the rest of the world.

Disclaimer: I do not own "The Hobbit."

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Chapter 7: Cousins or Sisters?

Sarah slept for the rest of the day and all through the night, her mind and body exhausted from the events of that day. She woke up just as the door opened. Edana walked in carrying a covered tray.

"Hey, Sarah," her cousin said, setting down the tray and coming over to sit on her own bed next to Sarah's. "I heard about what happened."

"How?"

"I forced it out of Legolas."

"And how did he find out?"

"No clue. How are you feeling?"

"You mean how do I feel about finding out Thranduil's my father and I have a kind of magic that I've only read about?" Sarah retorted.

"Yeah, that."

"Like a book that thought it was written in English only to find out that it's actually written in Chinese," Sarah said.

"Books can't think," Edana stated.

"How would you know?" Sarah asked. "Have you ever been a book?"

"You're changing the subject," Edana said. "Seriously, though. Are you alright?"

"No."

Sarah didn't even have to think about her answer. Only a truly crazy person would be fine after learning what Sarah had. She knew she wouldn't be fine for quite a while.

"Then it's a good thing I'm here," Edana said cheerfully. "I went down to the kitchens yesterday afternoon and asked for that favor from the cook I saved."

One day, while working in the kitchens, Edana had been glancing at a cute elf named Calanon who was fully focused on the fruit tarts he had been made in charge of, completely oblivious to the attention he was getting. In fact, he was so focused that he failed to notice his apron catching fire from the oven he was using, which should have been closed but instead was wide open. Thinking quickly, Edana used the knife she had been using to dice vegetables to cut the apron away from Calanon before the fire burned him. Another elf, who was passing by and saw what happened, quickly held out the bucket of water he was carrying to Edana, who submerged the burning apron and doused the flames.

All this happened before Calanon was even aware that his apron had caught fire. The head cook told Edana not to worry when she expressed her concern for the elf. He told her that while Calanon may have been a one-track-minded idiot, no one could make pastries like he could. Calanon thanked Edana many times and told her that he owed her a favor.

Edana walked back to pick up her tray and bring it over to Sarah, setting it down on the desk between their beds. She pulled off the cloth cover and revealed what was underneath. Sarah gasped.

On the tray were apple tartlets, strawberry and peach cakes, and a batch of Edana's herb biscuits that she was very proud of. This was a typical breakfast for when either of them was feeling sad. They never had sweet things for breakfast otherwise, not even leftover birthday cake, and Edana usually only made her biscuits on holidays and birthdays.

"When I told Calanon who all this was for," Edana said, "he was more than happy to help. He also says to come to him anytime this happens in the future."

"Remind me to thank him later," Sarah said before picking up a fork and taking a bite out of an apple tartlet. She moaned with pleasure. "These are so good. I think they're the best apple tartlets I've ever had, and we've tried quite a few different recipes."

"The head cook was right," Edana stated after trying an apple tartlet herself. "No one can make pastries like Calanon can."

After the tartlets, the girls started on the cakes: small and round, with the center hollowed out for the strawberries and peaches, topped off with a gelatin glaze. When the cakes were gone, the girls reached for the biscuits. Normally when they had biscuits they would slather them in butter. That was not necessary for Edana's biscuits. The herbs gave them plenty of flavor; butter would have only ruined them. The entire meal was washed down with berry juice.

When the tray was empty, the girls reclined on their beds, eyes closed with smiles on their faces.

"We haven't had a breakfast like that in so long," Edana said.

"I know," Sarah replied. "When was the last time we did this?"

"I think it was right before your sister got married and she was criticizing your collection of books," Edana answered, "as it was pretty much all fantasy and she hates stuff like that."

"She did say some pretty nasty things." Sarah frowned for a minute before smiling again. "I don't have to worry about that anymore."

"Worry about what?" Edana asked. "That you have someone as horrible as her for a sister or her criticisms?"

"Both. She can't reach me here, and she's not my sister. I don't have a sister."

"You've got me."

Sarah opened her eyes and looked over at Edana, who was looking back at her.

"That's right," Sarah said. "I've got you. I always wished that you were actually my sister, but I guess you always were. I know Miss Sourface wouldn't have done something like this if I was feeling down." She gestured to the empty tray and the girls laughed.

The door opened and Sarah's heart stopped, thinking that it was Thranduil coming to talk to her. She relaxed when she saw it was only Legolas. Her relief didn't last long, however.

"Father has asked to see you, sister."

"He can't give me some time to absorb all of this first?" Sarah asked. "And how did you find out anyway?"

"Gandalf has practically ordered him to talk to you," Legolas answered. "I was eavesdropping when he told your story. I wanted to make sure Father did not frighten you like he did when you first met."

"Well," Sarah began, "if Gandalf's the one orchestrating this, it would be wise to go along."

She stood up and prepared to follow Legolas, but when her bare feet touched the floor she realized that she was still wearing yesterday's dress. Legolas stepped aside as Adlanniel walked in with a fancy gown in her arms.

"Once your audience with the king has ended, princess, come to the tailor's," she said. "You may choose the fabrics and styles for your wardrobe."

When the girls had first arrived, the tailor had taken their measurements. As they had not found their place in the halls of the Elvenking, or had even decided whether or not they would be staying, she had held off making a personal wardrobe for the girls, who had been taking their outfits from a collection of spares the tailor kept for such reasons. Now that Sarah's position had been (somewhat) determined, she could make her an appropriate wardrobe.

Sarah thanked Adlanniel as she took the dress. The maid and Legolas left the room while Sarah changed. Edana stayed and watched her. When Sarah was finished, Edana made her sit down and did up her hair.

"Will you be alright?" she asked when she was done.

"I've faced worse," Sarah answered, thinking back to the many times her dad had called her into his study to talk to her. _More like yell at me for whatever reason _Sarah thought.

Edana squeezed her hand before walking out, knowing full well what Sarah meant. She walked away with Adlanniel while Sarah once again followed Legolas.

!%$# ^%%&amp;*()&amp;(&amp;$*^&amp;%$~ !#$#^%&amp;%(*)*)(^&amp;^%$ ~#$%#&amp;$^(^%&amp;&amp;^!#$

How was that? Was it okay? Leave me a review.


	8. Chapter 8

Guest: It was a very relaxing chapter. Most of the chapters from Chapter 5 and on will be emotional roller coasters.

pink bunny: Thanks.

Disclaimer: I do not own "The Hobbit."

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Chapter 8: Father to Daughter

Sarah followed Legolas, her heart beating louder and pounding faster with every step. She was afraid that if it got louder and faster she would have a heart attack. Then again, considering who she was going to see, a heart attack would be a kindness. She tried to mentally prepare herself for this next encounter with her father, but, having no knowledge of what he might say to her, there wasn't much she could do.

Legolas stopped outside Thranduil's private rooms and reached his hand out to open the door. Sarah drew in a deep lungful of air, trying to get control of her nerves before she passed out. It sounded like a gasp. Her brother stopped and turned to her. Seeing her panicked expression, he drew his hand away.

"You do not have to do this," he said in a whisper. "You can run. I can say that I was unable to find you. Give yourself some time."

"No," Sarah said. "If I run he will only come after me, especially if Gandalf is the one behind all of this. And it has to happen sooner or later. I've learned that the longer you take to say something, the greater it will haunt you if you miss your chance." _Like the chance I had to tell my fake-father what I really thought of him._

Legolas nodded, and opened the door. He stepped aside so that Sarah could enter, closing the door behind him. Through the door, she heard him say, "If it gets to be more than you can take, I will be in the archery range. Come and find me if you need someone to talk to."

Sarah waited until his footsteps faded before taking a look around the room. Thranduil stood on the other side of the room, once again dressed in simpler clothes than when they first met, with his back to her. She slowly started walking closer to him, each step seeming to take an hour. She was almost halfway across the room when she finally stopped, her nerves refusing to let her legs take another step. She stood there for what felt like ages before Thranduil finally turned around.

"Sit down, Sarah," Thranduil said, gesturing to the couches.

"I prefer standing," Sarah said in a low voice, not trusting herself not to squeak in terror if she spoke louder. She wanted to be fully prepared to run if she couldn't take it, even though her legs felt like they could collapse at any moment.

Thranduil didn't respond. In fact, he was silent for a few minutes as he simply looked at his daughter. Sarah, on the other hand, looked anywhere except at her father. She was waiting for him to say something, and he was obviously taking his sweet time thinking of what to say. What do you say to a complete stranger, even if that stranger is your family?

The room was so silent you could hear a pin drop. Sarah almost wished that one would, just to break up the uncomfortable silence. After a while, she couldn't take it anymore.

_If he doesn't say something within the next sixty seconds _she thought _I am going to run. _

She began counting down. For some reason her mind drifted to thoughts of the Hunger Games, and began to compare that minute to the countdown before the Blood Bath. She got all the way into the last ten seconds when. . .

"I know this is a lot for you to take in."

Sarah jumped. If this had been the Hunger Games, Thranduil's voice would have been the equivalent of a land mine going off as a tribute stepped off their platform before the countdown finished. Sarah was tempted to run right then and there. Instead, she held still and waited for Thranduil to continue. It took a lot more effort than one might think it would.

"It is hard on me as well. A lot of memories came back yesterday, long forgotten memories that I had pushed back to the furthest corner of my mind. Talking about your mother in any context is painful for me."

"Then don't talk about her," Sarah said. "I don't think you brought me here just to tell me stories of the past."

"I brought you here because Gandalf said I should talk to you," Thranduil said, "even though I did not know what to say to you. I was hoping to think of something before you arrived."

"And did you?"

"Nothing that would not make it more awkward between us than it already is."

There was silence for a few more minutes as each of them were trying to decide what to say to the other. Sarah started to think that there was nothing he could say that could possibly make things any more awkward. She was proven wrong not two seconds later.

"I heard what you said to Idhrenion."

Sarah stopped breathing. She had been staring at the ground, but now she looked up at Thranduil. It could have been a trick of the light, but, for a moment, she thought she saw a tear escape his eye.

"Please know that I would never hurt you," he said. "Not intentionally."

"You could still hurt me," Sarah responded. "This is going too fast. I need time to heal from the last father I had before starting over with another one."

With that, Sarah turned and started walking out. She heard footsteps behind her, but didn't stop. A hand grabbed her arm and pulled her back slightly. It hurt. Her mind flashed back to the many times something like this had happened before. Her heart stopped.

"Sarah, wait."

Sarah turned around. For a moment, she thought she saw her fake-father's face. It quickly changed back into Thranduil's. But that moment is what decided what she did next. Adrenaline rushed through her as she used the heel of her shoe to kick the Elvenking's leg, forcing him to let her go.

She ran.

She turned around and ran to the door, opening it and running out before Thranduil could stop her.

"Sarah!" he called out to her. "Sarah, stop! Please, come back!"

Sarah didn't listen. All she did was run. But this was not like the last time she had run away from her father. That time she had been running blind. This time she had a destination. The archery range. She knew where it was and how to get there from where she was. She kicked off her shoes and picked up the hem of her dress to allow herself to run easier.

Legolas had apparently not gotten very far in the time it took for Thranduil and Sarah to have their short conversation. Sarah turned into a long corridor not far away from the archery range when she saw him walking. She was about to run to him when she heard a very familiar voice.

"Sarah, please, wait!"

Sarah turned down a side passage before Thranduil could catch up to her. As she ran away as silently as she could, her mind went over the different places she could hide. Legolas would no doubt tell Thranduil where he had been going, so she couldn't hide there as that would be the first place they would look. She couldn't go to the stables, seeing as how that hadn't worked out as a safe haven. They would no doubt go to Edana next and ask her if she knew where she was.

The only other place Sarah could think of was the room she and Edana had been given. It had an inside lock, so she could insure that no one would be able to get in. It wasn't much, but it would have to do. Sarah set off, making sure to be as quiet as possible and that very few people saw her.

* * *

Legolas just missed Sarah as he turned around, having heard his father's frantic voice calling for his sister. Thranduil rounded the corner and saw his son staring back at him.

"Has Sarah run past here?" he asked.

"No," Legolas answered. The look on Thranduil's face was more than enough to tell him that his conversation with Sarah had not ended well. "What did you say to her?"

"That is not important right now," Thranduil started to say.

"Not important?" Legolas repeated. "Of course it is important. I know how you can be, Father. Your words hurt others without you even realizing it, and, by the time you do, it is too late to fix it. Sarah has been through enough already. She does not need you making things worse."

"Just help me find her," Thranduil demanded his son, "so that I may fix it before there is any permanent damage."

Legolas wanted to argue more, but instead walked with his father to the archery range, hoping that Sarah wouldn't be there and that she could avoid Thranduil for a little while longer.

* * *

Sarah reached the bedroom, quickly running in and locking the door behind her. She leaned up against it and slid down to the floor. She pulled back her sleeve and saw that the skin where Thranduil had grabbed her was already starting to bruise. The tears she had been holding back broke free and ran down her face.

She let them fall.

$#%$^%&amp;*(&amp;()&amp;)**$#%^$%~ #%$^(&amp;%^(*^&amp;*)&amp;*^^#$!%$ #^$%(&amp;^$$ %&amp;

How was it? I really didn't know what to put in their conversation, so I tried to end it quickly without it being completely terrible. Their conversations are going to be really awkward for a while as I think of better stuff for them to say.

There's a quote in here from a movie. Cyber-cookies if you can guess what quote from which movie.

Please leave me a review.


	9. Chapter 9

TheGreenTea: It is intense.

Pink bunny: Thanks.

Disclaimer: I do not own "The Hobbit."

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Chapter 9: Do you want to build a snowman?

Edana stood next to Calanon, washing and cutting fruit as he rolled out the dough for the pastries he had been assigned to make that day. She was also there to make sure his apron didn't catch fire again. The head cook had assigned her to work with Calanon, seeing how they got along well and she had the head to keep things from going south.

Calanon was grateful for the help. Not only did Edana spare him from any more humiliating accidents, but she was also an excellent student. She told him of the many hours she and Sarah had spent looking up recipes and baking in the kitchen, sometimes just starting from scratch and making up their own recipes as they went along. He saw in her a friend and apprentice, and perhaps something more.

Edana had just finished washing lemons while Calanon was putting the blueberry tarts in the oven – she was going to show him how to peel them so that they would be curled instead of flat and straight – when Legolas entered the kitchen and walked over to her, putting his hand on her shoulder so that she would know he was there.

She turned to him and was immediately worried, seeing the troubled look on his face. Her thoughts turned to her cousin-turned-sister.

"Have you seen Sarah?" Legolas asked.

"Not since this morning when you took her to go see. . ." Edana started to respond, then paused. "What happened?" she demanded. "What did Thrandy say to her?"

Legolas gave her a look when she said "Thrandy," but decided to ignore it for now. There were more important things to worry about, and his father had not been here to hear that so there was no problem.

"I do not know what he said to her," Legolas said. "All I know is that she ran out. My father ran after her and her path led him to me. I told her that I would be in the archery range if she could not listen to him anymore and she obviously was headed there, but I did not see her."

"You can't find her?" Edana asked, beginning to realize what was happening.

"No," Legolas answered. "We searched the archery range, but she was not there. She is not with any of the animals. We have searched practically the whole palace and have not found her."

"Did you check our bedroom?"

"No," Legolas said after a pause. "Why would she go there?"

"Probably because it's so obvious that it's the last place you would look," Edana answered. "And she can lock it from the inside so no one can get in."

"And if she is not there?" Edana sighed at Legolas' question. She was the one Sarah knew best, so it was the obvious conclusion that she would be the one who knew what Sarah would do in this kind of situation.

"You keep searching the rest of the palace," she said. "I'll go check our room. If she's not there, you'll be the first to know."

Legolas nodded and walked out, determined not to waste any time that could be spent looking for his sister. Edana sighed again and turned to Calanon, who was patiently waiting for the conversation to end.

"Will you be alright on your own?" she asked him.

"I have been just fine on my own for many centuries." Edana raised an eyebrow at that, remembering the burning apron. "The ovens will be closed while the tarts are baking, and I promise to close them when they come out. All that is left after that is to peel the lemons and add the garnish. We can save your technique for another time."

"Thank you for understanding," Edana said. "Just be careful with the peeler. I'm pretty sure no one wants elf-skin in their blueberries."

Calanon laughed as she hurried out of the kitchen, staring at her until he couldn't see her anymore before turning his attention back to his work. The head cook saw this and mentally smiled. _That girl might actually be good for him _he thought.

* * *

Edana hurried as fast as she could to her and Sarah's room. She got there and immediately reached for the door, but was unable to turn the handle. It was locked. That told her all she needed to know. She knocked on the door.

"Sarah?" she called. "Sarah, can you hear me?"

The only response she got was a few quiet sobs. Sarah was crying. It sounded like she was right inside the door.

_Thrandy better hope I don't find him after this _Edana thought _otherwise I'm going to rip his spine out through his nose and beat him with it until he has so many bruises there's no skin left for me to bruise._

"Sarah?" she tried again. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Go away, Edana," was the response she got.

Sarah's words sparked a memory inside Edana. She thought back to the lyrics from a movie song, a movie that she and Sarah had gone to see together. After getting back home, they had looked up the lyrics and memorized all the songs. The lyrics came back to her now. Edana knocked again.

"Sarah?" she said once more before starting to sing.

"_Please, I know you're in there._

_People are asking where you've been._

_They say 'Have courage,' and I'm trying to._

_I'm right out here for you._

_Just let me in._

_We only have each other._

_It's just you and me._

_What are we gonna do?"_

Edana leaned against the door and slid down to the floor, pausing before she sang the last line of the song.

"_Do you want to build a snowman?"_

There was a moment of silence after that, and Edana waited patiently to see if she would get a reaction. It wasn't long before she heard someone moving on the other side of the door. The lock clicked, and the door opened. Edana hurriedly stood up and turned to face her sister.

Sarah's eyes were red from crying, and tears were still falling. Her dress was wrinkled from sitting on the floor. She immediately hugged Edana and cried into her shoulder. All Edana could do was hug her back.

"Sarah!"

The two girls turned to the voice that had cried out. Thranduil was walking toward them with a relieved look on his face.

"Go," Edana whispered to Sarah, who walked back into the room. Edana followed her, turning back once she was inside just in time to see Thranduil walk up to the door.

"Sarah. . . ," he started to say. Edana glared at him.

"Buzz off, Twig Head!" she shouted before slamming the door in his face. She locked it behind to her, then turned back to go comfort Sarah.

* * *

Thranduil stood outside the door, stunned. Though, he couldn't decide if it was from the door being slammed in his face or the name Edana had called him. He heard the door being locked and raised his hand to knock. He paused before knocking, then lowered his hand.

If Sarah didn't want to talk to him, and Edana was in no mood to let him even try to say anything to his daughter, then there wasn't much he could do about it. He walked away, his heart heavy.

* * *

Legolas watched it all from where he was hiding.

He had waited outside the kitchen for Edana to emerge, then followed her. He heard the song she sang, and saw how Sarah reacted. He saw how his father tried to get to Sarah and how Edana had refused him entry. He almost laughed when he heard what she called the king, but didn't as it would give away his hiding place.

When he was certain that his father was gone, he came out of the shadows and walked over to the door. He knocked softly.

"Sarah, Edana," he said. "It's Legolas. May I come in?"

Edana unlocked the door and opened it, letting him in after checking to make sure Thranduil wasn't nearby. He immediately walked over and hugged his sister. She hugged him back. Edana closed and locked the door before walking over to join in the group-hug.

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I know that might be an awkward place to end, but I had said all I wanted to say and I didn't want to put in anything else. Was it okay?

Cyber-cookies for whoever is the first to guess what movie the song came from.

Please review.


	10. Chapter 10

silentmayhem: Don't worry. Things will get better for Thranduil. . . eventually.

Noxy the Proxy: Of course there's more. I wasn't going to end the story there.

pink bunny: Thanks.

Disclaimer: I do not own "The Hobbit."

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Chapter 10: Settling In

Time seemed to move quickly after that day, where once it had moved slowly.

Once Sarah had gotten control of her emotions, Edana had taken her to the tailors and helped her pick out the colors and patterns she wanted. After that, Adlanniel and Mirima had helped her move her things, which wasn't very much, into her new suite in the royal wing of the palace, which they had been preparing for her since the previous day. Sarah's new room was bigger than her entire house had been, back when she was still human. It consisted of a sitting room, small library, bedchamber, walk-in closet, and bathroom. Edana had been green with envy, though she tried to hide it.

Sarah had, of course, protested that it was all a bit too much, but Adlanniel and Mirima would not hear of it. They said that she was a princess now, so there was no reason why she shouldn't live like one. The new princess whispered to her cousin-turned-sister that her room felt very empty. Edana had whispered back that, if she ever got too lonely, she would happily come and spend the night with her. They could get snacks from Calanon and turn it into a sort of slumber party. This cheered Sarah up a little bit to know that she wouldn't be entirely alone.

Legolas was also a big help. After talking with Edana, they decided that Sarah was not to be left alone in case Thranduil tried to get close to her. For the sake of her mental and emotional states, they would allow Sarah time to heal from past wounds before Thranduil would be allowed to step in and take on the roll of a father.

The only problem they ran into was that there would be times when neither Legolas nor Edana would be available to stay with Sarah. Legolas had princely duties to attend to, as well as his place on the Mirkwood Guard. Edana had decided to permanently work in the kitchens. She claimed it was because of her love of food and passion for baking, but Legolas and Sarah both secretly thought that it was really for a certain handsome pastry chef.

This problem was quickly solved with the introduction of another face that was familiar to Sarah and Edana: Tauriel. Legolas fixed it so that, when he and Edana were busy, Tauriel would be free to watch over Sarah. Edana had early mornings, Tauriel had late mornings and early afternoons, and Legolas had late afternoons. They usually all had the evenings free to themselves, which they spent together as a group. Even though Tauriel's only task was to look after Sarah during her scheduled time, all three girls became fast friends, and Tauriel saw her time with Sarah as less of a chore and began to look forward to when Edana would leave for work and hand Sarah over to her.

Sarah was never bored. She and Edana would continue to explore the palace, discovering new places and spending time in certain locations that they both liked, usually just talking. Tauriel would dedicate her time to teaching Sarah self-defense, at Sarah's request. The story of her mother's death was haunting her a bit. It was mostly archery, daggers and knives, and hand-to-hand combat; Sarah hadn't taken well to swords. Her time with Legolas was spent in either the stables or the library. This was time dedicated to Sarah's magic. In the stables, Sarah would work on mental communication and calling selected animals to her without speaking. In the library, Sarah studied animal anatomy, in case her wild magic included healing animals. Of course, they wouldn't know until an animal got hurt and she actually tried to heal it.

Sarah was quite exhausted at the end of the day. But she was happy, as long as it kept her away from Thranduil.

That's not to say the Elvenking didn't try. When he wasn't attending to any kingly business, you would usually find him loitering around wherever Sarah was at the time. He would try to approach Sarah and say something to her, but her three guardians found ways to steer her away from him so that he couldn't follow. Of course, this was only if Sarah didn't want to face him. The group of four developed a series of signals, saying whether Sarah wanted to leave or stay if Thranduil was coming their way. The latter was not used very often, and, when it was, it was usually when they were all together. After a while it began to really irritate the Elvenking. Legolas and the girls knew this, but they didn't care. In fact, they rather enjoyed it.

Gandalf wasn't seen again. Sarah and Edana learned that he had left not long after Thranduil had first tried to talk to Sarah. They were disappointed. Sarah had wanted to ask him more about her magic, and Edana wanted to know whatever he could tell her about why she had come here with Sarah.

Two more months flew by. They hardly noticed the time. One evening, after dinner, they all sat outside and nibbled on pastries that Edana and Calanon were experimenting with and needed people to sample before anyone else could try them.

"I can't believe how much time has passed," Sarah commented. "It's been three months since Edana and I were running from spiders in the forest, trying to defend ourselves with branches." Everyone laughed at the memory of Sarah and Edana's first arrival.

"It seems only yesterday we were being introduced to Thranduil," Edana said, "and I was being nothing but sassy with him."

"You are like that whenever you see him," Legolas told her. "I heard you call him 'Twig Head' that day." Edana laughed. "Besides, not many people have the courage to stand up to him, and I think it is good that you do not acquiesce when he gives you an order in his most frightening voice."

"I grew up with two older brothers. They toughened me up when I was still a kid. I am not easily frightened."

"I'll believe it."

"I think the only reason the king does not punish you," Tauriel began, "is the fact that you and Sarah are close, and he does not want to hurt his daughter."

"Too late," Sarah mumbled as she rubbed her arm. The bruise had faded, but the memory still haunted her. There were actually nights when she had woken up in a cold sweat from nightmares where she was being abused, and the abuser's face would switch back and forth from Thranduil to her fake-father.

"I think he is up to something," Legolas announced. "He no longer tries to approach Sarah and he does not venture out of his rooms as much as he used to, except on important business. He is plotting something, and I believe Sarah may be at the heart of it." He looked over at his sister, who was taking small bites of a red-berry tart and trying to look calm.

"Unless it is a speech that makes me want to run into his arms and hug him rather than run as far away from him as possible," she said after swallowing, "I'm not interested."

"I do not think that will change his mind about whatever he is deciding," her brother told her.

"He never changes his mind about anything once he has made a decision," Tauriel pointed out to the prince.

"True."

"Enough about your royal pain of a father," Edana said, getting a few laughs for her description. "Let's talk about something more cheerful." She turned to Sarah. "How are your magic studies coming along?"

"Better than they were with Daine," Sarah responded, referring to the character with wild magic from the books she had read. "I don't forget I'm a person when I reach out to an animal. And even though there aren't any experts available to help me learn to use my magic, I'm progressing very well. At least, that's what Idhrenion tells me."

"I always wondered how you knew which direction to take concerning your magic," Legolas commented.

"I'm not flying blind here," Sarah said. "Not exactly. There isn't anyone else with wild magic that I can go to for help, and Gandalf certainly didn't stick around long enough for me to ask him for any assistance. The only expertise I have available to me is the books I've read. Daine had to learn how to use her magic just the same as me. I thought that, since my magic and hers are the same, I might as well take a similar approach."

"Good thinking," Edana said.

For the rest of the evening, the subjects went from magical discussions to talk of the trip to Rivendell that the Mirkwood royals would be taking. This trip had been planned since before Sarah and Edana had arrived, and the girls were looking forward to it. They would be leaving in the morning and would have to get up early, so the group said early goodnights and retreated to their separate rooms.

But Sarah found that she could not fall asleep as easily this night as on other nights. A feeling of dread entered her heart, and she found herself starting to fear the trip to Rivendell. Taking several deep breaths to calm herself, she eventually drifted into an uneasy sleep.

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So what did you think of that? What will happen to Sarah? What does that feeling of dread mean?

The cyber-cookies are still here waiting for someone to guess what book Sarah's referring to.

Leave me a review.


	11. Chapter 11

booksfoodmusic-minion: I like writing Edana, especially when it's a scene with her and Thranduil.

Guest 1: Correct! Congratulations! The cyber-cookies are yours! I was worried no one was going to take a guess. Tamora Pierce is one of my favorite authors, and, as an animal lover, the Immortals quartet is my favorite out of all the books she's written.

Guest 2: Thank you.

dreamweaver: Correct! Technically it's the whole series, but you got the right one. Cyber-cookies for you as well!

pink bunny: Thank you.

For those of you who couldn't figure it out, the book series is "The Immortals quartet" by Tamora Pierce.

Disclaimer: I do not own "The Hobbit."

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Chapter 11: Starting off to Rivendell

Thranduil wanted an early start for their journey to Rivendell, so everyone, including the servants, woke up earlier than usual.

Edana had spent the night in Sarah's room – the bed was plenty big for the both of them – and had brought her riding outfit so the girls could get dressed together. Their riding outfits were simple: knee-length kirtles, breeches, boots, and a floor-length coat that buttoned all the way down the torso and then opened up. The only difference was the colors. Sarah's was bright purples and greens while Edana's was softer shades of blue and turquoise.

Everything they needed had been packed the day before, so it was only a matter of saddling and loading the horses before the party left. Edana had been placed in the back with the servants, and she was less than happy about that. Her horse, a gentle mare named Lily, was very patient with her rider. Of course, this was mostly due to Sarah, who had been placed up front with Thranduil and Legolas.

Sarah had spoken to Lily about Edana before going over to her own mare, Cheyenne. Lily promised to keep Sarah up-to-date on Edana's mood, while Cheyenne asked if she could take a bite out of Thranduil's backside. The answer, of course, was "no." Sarah would tell her brother and friends about this later, and they would all have a good laugh while imagining Thranduil's reaction to being bitten in the butt by a horse.

Legolas saw that there was a bit of a problem and pulled Sarah aside.

"If you get lonely," he told her, "you can tell Edana to come up front with you, no matter what Ada says."

Sarah thanked him, but couldn't go and tell Edana because Thranduil arrived with Idhrenion. Once all the supplies and riders were up on horses, Thranduil gave the signal to move out.

It was quiet up front. Thranduil faced forward the whole time, only allowing his eyes to move. Legolas glanced in every direction, his years with the Mirkwood guard taking hold as he looked for any signs of danger. Sarah listened for the voices of animals and took in the views around her, though there wasn't much to see and hear until they got out of the forest.

The group headed for the Misty Mountains, where they would cross over before making for Imladris.

Sarah would exchange a few words with any birds and woodland or plains animals that were within her magical range, but, other than that, she was utterly bored out of her mind. She and Edana had always dreamed of traveling these lands together. Now that they were actually here, they were separated. The traveling party had only been out of Mirkwood for an hour before Sarah sent a message to Lily.

It wasn't long before Lily came trotting up to the front and slowed down when she reached Sarah. Edana smiled, not at all bothered by her horse just taking off with her.

"You're surprisingly calm," Sarah observed. "You normally don't like to go any faster than a slow walk."

"I figured you had something to do with it," Edana responded. "Even if you didn't, I hoped you would stop her before it got out of control. I don't know the first thing about riding horses except to hang on when they go too fast for comfort."

Sarah laughed. Was she ever glad that Edana was here. Her cousin-turned-sister always knew how to make her smile.

Thranduil turned in his seat to face the girls.

"Pardon the interruption," he began, "but I believe you were positioned further back, Edana."

"That's 'Lady Edana' to you, Thrandy," Edana threw back at him. Sarah laughed again, then turned to the Elvenking, who looked like he was trying to decide whether to kill Edana himself as punishment for that horrible nickname or get someone else to do it rather than get his own hands dirty.

"I asked her to come up here," Sarah said. "I needed someone to talk to."

"Talk to Legolas then," Thranduil said.

Legolas, who had been looking the other way, listening the entire time while pretending not to hear a word, snapped his head around to face his father and sister, putting on an innocent smile.

"Did someone say my name?"

Thranduil rolled his eyes, Sarah and Edana giggled, and those who were listening either ducked their heads or covered their mouths with their hands to hide their smiles.

"I could talk to him all I wanted," Sarah said when she stopped giggling, "but I'd probably turn blue in the face before he heard a word of it."

"And besides," Edana chimed in, having gotten her own giggles under control, "Sarah needs someone to talk to who actually understands her. We've both wanted to travel around Middle Earth, and, now that we're actually doing just that, we want to be able to share what we think with each other. Plus, being back there was about as exciting as watching grass grow. No offense, but the elves you put me next to are horrible conversationalists."

Sarah laughed once again at Edana's choice of words. Even their audience laughed a bit. Thranduil sighed.

"Fine," he said. "Just try not to be too loud or do anything irritating."

"We're not high on sugar or sleep deprived or anything like that," Edana said, "so that shouldn't be a problem. We can get a bit crazy sometimes if that happens, especially when both of them happen at the same time."

Legolas nearly fell out of his saddle; he was laughing so hard. Thranduil shuddered with horror, remembering the several times his son had gotten hold of one-too-many sweets after already going for several hours and how he had spent that extra energy. Sarah and Edana smiled at each other. They sensed a very interesting story that could quite possible be labeled under "extremely hilarious."

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A bit shorter than I would have liked. How was it? Leave me a review.


	12. Chapter 12

booksfoodmusic-minion: I'll leave that up to your imagination.

Disclaimer: I do not own "The Hobbit."

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Chapter 12: Healing

Edana rode up in the front for the rest of the trip to Rivendell. Legolas didn't mind and Sarah loved the company. The only one who seemed to have a problem with it was Thranduil, mostly because he couldn't say a word to Sarah without someone interrupting him. His daughter's protectors kept a close eye on him and were always ready with a new topic of discussion if he so much as turned his head towards her. When they stopped for the night they made sure that Sarah was never left alone, at least not with someone who was afraid of Thranduil, which was basically her protectors.

Sarah was grateful for her loyal friends, but, with each passing day, she felt the tension between her and her father grow thicker. She knew that they had to have a serious talk before one of them got seriously hurt. And besides, this wasn't what she wanted. Her avoiding any heart-to-heart conversations with her fake-dad was one of the reasons things had been so bad between them. She didn't want something like that to happen again, but she didn't want to have that talk while they were on the road and she had nowhere to run if things went south.

There was some good news while they were traveling, and it happened when they were at the foot of the Misty Mountains. Sarah was in the middle of telling her friends a funny joke when she heard a voice cry out in pain. She grew silent and turned her head towards the nearby grove of trees, listening carefully.

"What's wrong?" Edana asked.

Sarah didn't answer. She just turned her horse towards the grove and cantered over to it, ignoring the people calling her name. When she got there, Sarah dismounted and walked through the trees, listening for the voice she'd heard, until she found what she was looking for: a gray rabbit that had jumped and landed on a thorny branch, the sharp thorn going all the way through his paw.

Sarah approached him slowly, speaking soothing words to the creature. She knelt down next to him and pulled his paw out of the thorn. It hurt, but the rabbit remained calm, comforted by Sarah's presence and her wild magic. She picked him up and took his injured paw gently in her hand. Closing her eyes, she reached down and into her magic.

Using her magic, Sarah closed the wound, repairing torn tissue and muscle and chipped bone and burning away any infection that might have set in. She remained focused, not noticing the concerned and fascinated people surrounding her, nor the fact that over an hour had gone by from the time she started the healing and the time she finished.

She opened her eyes, checking the paw one last time before releasing the rabbit, with a warning to look before leaping next time. She stood up as the rabbit thanked her and bounded away, noticing that she felt dizzy and her head was pounding a bit.

Stumbling as she turned to walk back to her horse, she was caught off-guard as a pair of arms wrapped around her, stopping her before she hit the ground. Looking up, she saw that it was Thranduil. Great concern was written all over his face, and Sarah managed a weak smile.

"I'm fine," she said in an attempt to ease her father's worries. "I'm just a little tired from using my magic like that for the first time."

"Your mother was never able to completely heal a wound as small as that in so short a time," Thranduil replied, the worried look in his eyes refusing to leave, "even after hundreds of years of using her magic like that."

"Gandalf did say that my magic was a lot stronger than Mother's," Sarah said. This was the first actual conversation she and her father had had since after the wizard had revealed Sarah's identity, not including their attempt at a conversation the day after that. It was going well so far, and she wanted it to stay that way.

"I just don't want you pushing yourself too hard too fast. All magic comes with a price."

"I know. I'm paying the price right now for that small bit of magic I just did."

As she spoke, Sarah's eyelids grew heavy. She closed them, and felt her father's arms lift her up off the ground and carry her back to her horse. They hadn't brought any wagons with them, so there wasn't really any place to put Sarah as she rested and regained her strength. Cheyenne assured the princess that she could carry her and prevent her from falling off as she slept, and knelt down so that Thranduil could place his daughter on her back. As the traveling party continued, the Elvenking kept glancing over to the sleeping girl on her horse.

* * *

When Sarah had healed the rabbit, it was just after midday. When she woke up, it was dark and she was lying on a blanket next to a fire.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," Edana said, walking over to Sarah as she sat up. "Or should I say, 'Good evening'?"

"Very funny," the waking girl replied. "I'd like to see you do what I did and stay awake for a few more minutes."

"You kidding? I would have been out in two seconds. I'm surprised you were able to stay awake for another minute _and _have a conversation. Though, considering who that conversation was with, I don't know if that's a good thing."

"It wasn't that bad," Sarah protested. "Besides, I can't avoid him forever. I'm just waiting for the right time and place."

"And if that time and place never happens?" Edana asked. "What will you do then?"

"I don't know," Sarah answered. "I haven't gotten that far yet. I just know that it needs to happen sometime before we both do something that we're going to regret for the rest of our immortal lives."

"Thinking about your dad?" Edana asked. They had decided that "Dad" would refer to Sarah's fake-parent and "Father" would refer to Thranduil.

"More than I've ever thought about him in my entire life."

"Never mind him," Legolas said as he and Tauriel walked up to the girls. "Father has not come out of his tent since we set up camp. If that little conversation you two had causes him to react like that, I am almost afraid of how he would react to a true heart-to-heart."

"I have to get it out of my system though," Sarah said, "otherwise I will never be able to truly heal myself. My healing powers only work on other animals, not me."

"We could tone it down a bit on keeping you away from your father," Tauriel suggested. "Let you at least talk to each other."

"It's not much," Sarah said, "but it's a start."

At that moment, Thranduil cautiously walked up to the group. He fully expected them to start talking again and completely ignore him. To his surprise, Legolas, Tauriel, and Edana walked away, leaving Sarah alone by the fire. With his elvish hearing, Thranduil could tell by their footsteps that they hadn't gone very far, so they didn't completely trust him. He turned his attention back to Sarah.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Better," Sarah responded. "My head doesn't hurt and I don't feel like I'm dead on my feet. I am a little hungry though."

Thranduil waved to a servant who was standing nearby, who brought over a tray of bread and cheese. Thranduil took the tray from him and set it on Sarah's lap. She gave him a questioning look.

"Your mother was always hungry after waking up from a healing," he explained. "She could never stomach anything more than this, though. I figured you would be the same."

"Thank you," Sarah said before she began eating.

Thranduil sat a little ways from her as she ate and stared at the fire, glancing over occasionally at Sarah, who glanced back at him from time to time when he wasn't looking.

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They finally have a civil conversation. What did you think of it?

There's a quote in here from "Once Upon A Time." Cyber-cookies if you can find it.

Please leave me a review.


	13. Chapter 13

Guest: First of all, I'm a sis, not a bro. Second, thanks.

pink bunny: Thank you.

Disclaimer: I do not own "The Hobbit."

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Chapter 13: How I Met Your Mother

"Tell me about my mother," Sarah said in a quiet voice as she finished eating and set aside her tray. Thranduil looked at her, sorrow in his eyes.

"That is a painful topic," he said, "and not one I wish to discuss."

"Please?" Sarah pleaded. "I hardly know anything about her. I will never personally get to know my mother. I can only ask questions to those who did. Legolas doesn't talk about her, Tauriel didn't know her, Gandalf didn't stick around for very long, and I barely speak to anyone else. You're the only other person I can go to.

"And yet you have been avoiding me all this time."

"That," Sarah said with a frown, "is a completely different story."

Thranduil thought about her words for a few minutes, then gave her a small smile.

"What would you like to know?" he asked. Sarah smiled back.

"What was she like? How did you two meet? How did you fall in love? What did she use her magic for?"

Thranduil looked deep into the fire for several minutes as his mind replayed memories of his wife, memories he had tried to block out for many years now. Sarah waited patiently for him to speak, but, as the minutes passed, she was afraid that he wouldn't speak at all. She was about to say something when Thranduil finally spoke.

"I had gone out riding on my own," he began, "even though I was not supposed to. The horse that I had chosen to ride was not fully trained, and he ended up throwing me after a bird had flown past his nose and spooked him. He ran off after that, leaving me lying on the ground. After waiting a few moments for the pain to pass while mentally kicking myself for being so stupid, I stood up and started in the direction my horse had gone.

"I had only taken a few steps when my horse came running up to me. And riding him was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen: blond hair that was windswept from riding, eyes the color of the sky on a clear day, and the most radiant smile that made her face glow as bright as the sun. I fell in love with Meldamiriel the moment I saw her."

Unbeknownst to Thranduil, a smile had slowly been creeping onto his face as he spoke with a faraway look in his eyes. Sarah smiled as she could see her father's love for her mother quite visible on his face.

"She was unaware of who I was," Thranduil continued, "and so she lectured me about riding alone on an untrained colt. She was smiling the entire time she said it, so I was not even slightly angry with her, as I would have been had she been anyone else. She told me that I was lucky she had been in the area, otherwise things would not have ended well for me. She asked me who I was, where I was from, and why I was such a bad rider.

"There was about half a minute of silence when she realized that I had not spoken a single word to her. She repeated her questions, but all I could do was stare at her with my mouth hanging open. At this point she was no longer smiling, but was looking at me with a curious look on her face. She then asked me if I was mute. When I again made no response, she handed me the reins and began to walk away, calling a warning over her shoulder to be more careful next time.

"I hadn't even realized I had said anything until she stopped, turned back around with a hint of disbelief mixed in with the curiosity, and asked me to repeat it. Apparently I had told her that she was beautiful. Not knowing what I had said, I asked her what she thought I had said. I am quite certain I turned as red as a tomato when she told me." Sarah laughed, imagining her father's face red with embarrassment.

"It was then that my father and a company of guards rode up to us. He checked me over to make sure I was not hurt, lecturing me the entire time and basically saying the same things that Meldamiriel had said to me. After he had exhausted all he could think of to say, and reassured himself that I was unharmed, he turned to the woman standing there and started asking her questions, though I cannot recall any of them.

"Instantly recognizing my father, and realizing who I must have been, her face turned pink with embarrassment and she apologized for having inconvenienced me in any way. Recalling the story with her years later, she told me that she was absolutely humiliated at the thought that she had just been lecturing the king's son."

"From what you've already told me," Sarah said, "it sounds like you deserved the lecture."

"That I did," Thranduil said with a small laugh before continuing. "She explained that she had found my horse wandering, saddled and without a rider, and had followed his trail back to me. My father thanked her for her help and offered to have one of his soldiers take her home. She politely refused and watched as I rode away with my father and his guards. I stared back at her, never taking my eyes off of her for a moment, until she disappeared from my view. It was only when we reached the palace that I realized I had not asked for her name.

"It would be several weeks before I would see her again. My father was holding a ball and had invited the leaders of all the villages in the forest and their families. After walking around the room for a while, I saw her standing by the wall, a glass of wine in one hand and staring at the dancers with a bored expression. I walked right up to her and asked why a beautiful woman such as herself was not out on the dance floor. Recognizing me, she once again turned pink and stuttered, attempting a response to my question. Luckily for her, and for me, the last dance had just ended and a new one was beginning. Without asking for permission, I took her hand and led her out and into the midst of the dancers.

"Several songs played as we twirled and spun around each other, gazing into each other's eyes and not saying a single word. She was very tense in the beginning, but began to relax as time went on. Sometime during the second song, she began to smile. By the end of our dancing session, her smile was as big and bright as it had been when I first saw her riding my horse over to me. Needless to say, I was also smiling.

"We finally left the dance floor, exhausted, and met my father and her parents. They had been watching us the entire time. My father recognized her, asked her name, which I realized then that I had once again forgotten to do so myself, and thanked her again for her help that day I had gone riding. Her parents looked at him with confusion and asked him what he was referring to, obviously not having heard the story from their daughter. He related to them the same story that Meldamiriel had told him. When he got to the part about her finding the horse and following his trail back to me, they started laughing.

"Her parents then told my father and me that their daughter had always had a special way with animals, that she talked to them and held conversations with them as easily as they themselves were conversing. They said that she had most likely asked the horse where he came from and how to get back to his abandoned rider. They said it all in a joking manner, as if they saw it as a funny story that you tell people to make them laugh. They obviously saw their daughter's power as something that was not to be taken seriously.

"My father then turned to their daughter and asked if it was true. She told him that it was. When he asked her why she had changed her story, she replied that she had often been ridiculed for her strong and deep connection with animals and that she tried as often as she could to hide her true power. She kept glancing over to her parents as she spoke, and I got the impression that they were the ones who did most of the ridiculing and had convinced their daughter to lie about her power so that they themselves would not be ridiculed for having such a strange child.

"They dragged her away from my father and me after that, apologizing for their daughter's foolishness. I followed them for a while and overheard them lecturing her, berating her for humiliating them in front of their king. When I saw the tears fall from her eyes, I had to resist the urge to beat her parents to a bloody pulp for making her cry. I did not see her for the rest of the night.

"The ball ended, and Meldamiriel left for her village with her parents. I was incredibly saddened by her absence, and angry with myself for not having intervened when they were hurting her. My inaction bothered me for several days. Luckily, not long after the ball, my father decided to take a tour of all the villages within his kingdom to see how they were faring and if there was anything that needed improvement. I accompanied him, using the excuse that this tour would help me know my people and kingdom better. Honestly, I just wanted to see that beautiful woman again." Sarah laughed.

"Her village was one of the last ones we visited. We stayed with her parents while we were there, and so I was able to spend a great deal of time with her. We were a bit awkward around each other near the beginning, both remembering how we had first met, but we eventually relaxed enough to be comfortable around each other. Her parents were quite pleased with the situation, and they avoided bringing up the subject of her magic again. I think they were just pleased that a man was showing any interest in her at all. I learned that because of her parents' criticisms towards her power, no man in the village wanted anything to do with her."

"What a bunch of jerks," Sarah said with a scowl. Thranduil raised one eyebrow at her language, but continued.

"On the day we were meant to leave, my father's horse fell ill. They could not determine what was wrong with him, having asked everyone who was in charge of the stables of anything they noticed that could have caused it. Also, not knowing what the cause of the illness was, they could not determine how to heal the horse. Finally, my father remembered what Meldamiriel's parents had said about her being able to speak to animals, and so he asked her if she would be willing to talk to his horse in order to determine what was wrong. Her parents objected, saying, in a very condescending tone, that her supposed power was nothing more than an overactive imagination.

"My father did not listen to them, and again asked Meldamiriel if she would talk to his horse. She agreed, and learned of a plant that the horse had eaten that he had never tried before. Inquiring further, she was able to extract from him the location of the plant and directed us to it. The plant turned out to be one that is poisonous to horses. It was ripped out immediately, and an antidote was given to the horse now that they knew the cause of the illness and how to cure it. My father was impressed with her power, and offered her a position in the palace working with the animals there.

"At this point, her parents began praising her and speaking flattering words about her power, encouraging her to take the position. Everyone there could tell that their change of opinion concerning her power was only due to the fact that my father was taking her seriously and making her an offer."

"Gold-diggers," Sarah said under her breath. Thranduil heard her and smiled.

"Gold-diggers indeed," he said. "When Meldamiriel accepted the offer, her parents were absolutely ecstatic. They began to discuss what they would take with them when they moved into the palace and who would be chosen as the new village leader since they would be leaving. My father stopped them there and told them that his offer was only for Meldamiriel. They would not be accompanying her. They tried to object, saying that she was still young and still needed her parents. He silenced them by observing that they did not truly appreciate their daughter's gifts, and so they did not deserve to benefit from them. I do not know who was happier when we finally left the village: Meldamiriel because she was finally away from her critical and restrictive parents, or me because the woman I loved was now going to be so close to me.

"I began to officially court her not long after she started working in the palace. While she had been quite open with me when we were in her parents' village, it was as if she had been chained up and had suddenly been set free. It was eventually discovered that her gift with animals was really wild magic, and she was very pleased to finally have an explanation. The more I learned about her and the longer I knew her, the more I loved her. My father was only too happy to give his blessing when we revealed our desire to marry. An announcement of the marriage was sent to her parents, but they were not invited to the wedding. I was not going to allow them to spoil what was going to be a very happy day for the both of us."

Sarah smiled as her father told his story. She hadn't noticed it, but she had slowly been inching towards Thranduil as he was speaking. At this point, she was sitting right next to him. Feeling drowsy all of a sudden, not fully recovered from her magical healing, she rested her head on his shoulder. Surprised at her actions at first, Thranduil relaxed and wrapped one arm around her. They sat like that in silence for a while, staring into the flames while Thranduil was lost in his memories and Sarah was playing his story over in her head.

"I wish I could have known her," Sarah finally said in a low voice. Thranduil hugged her close.

"I wish she was here, also," he said.

Sarah drifted off to sleep in her father's embrace, not noticing the tear that fell from his eye.

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It took me so long to write this chapter. It's one of my longer ones, too. I wanted to get the entire story in rather than cutting it off and continuing it in another chapter.

We finally learn a bit about Meldamiriel. Does anyone else totally hate her parents? More information about her in the future.

A cute father-daughter bonding moment. Also more of that in the future.

My apologies. I know this chapter is a day late. I was on vacation and didn't have access to my laptop with all my work on it. Next chapter will still be posted on Friday.

For now, please review.


	14. Chapter 14

Scarlet Drozd: Thank you. I should hope my readers see character development. A story where everyone is exactly the same at the end as they were in the beginning is boring and pointless.

booksfoodmusic-minion: This story would end very badly if things didn't get better. I enjoyed writing about Meldamiriel.

pink bunny: Thank you. I work really hard on these stories to make sure my readers like them and they meet the image and ideas that I was going for.

Disclaimer: I do not own "The Hobbit."

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Chapter 14: Arriving at Rivendell

The tension eased a bit between Thranduil and Sarah after that night. It hadn't disappeared completely, but it wasn't as thick as it was before.

Sarah didn't know where the courage to ask about her mother had come from. She normally wouldn't have been so bold. She attributed it to exhaustion from her magical working and the conversation she'd had with her friends just moments before. Whatever the cause, she didn't regret it.

Edana, Legolas, and Tauriel did back off a bit. They didn't interrupt so much when Thranduil tried to talk to Sarah, and they had agreed to leave her alone for at least five minutes when they stopped for the night. They still watched from the shadows, but at least they weren't acting like they were glued to her side.

Thranduil and Sarah didn't have any more very personal and open conversations, at least not while they were on the road. Whenever they did talk, the topics were more ordinary and casual. Sarah didn't mind. She was just glad that they were talking at all. She knew they still needed to have _that _talk, but she also still felt that it wasn't the right time or place yet.

Sarah and Edana had seen images of Rivendell in the movies and looked up pictures online, but nothing could have prepared them for the actual thing. They sat on their horses, jaws dropped, and just stared at it, admiring the beauty of this hidden paradise. Close up, it was even more beautiful.

They endured the introductions to Lord Elrond and his family while resisting the urge to run off and explore. When Thranduil sent them off to rest from the journey and settle in, they calmly walked away. But, as soon as they were out of the room, they grabbed each others' hands and sprinted away.

Repeating the same process they had gone through in Mirkwood, the girls spent their first few days in Rivendell just exploring. After the initial excitement had died down a bit, they went back to their usual routines. Arwen often joined them on their excursions, showing them her favorite places, shortcuts, and secret nooks. Elladan and Elrohir would join in during Sarah's training sessions with Tauriel and acted as extra teachers, though they did more showing off than actual teaching. Elrond joined Legolas during Sarah's study sessions, mostly because he was interested in seeing how her wild magic worked.

When Thranduil was not busy with anything else, he could be found close to Sarah. He stood on the sidelines while she was training and called out praise or things that could use improvement. He also joined her study sessions, giving advice and making suggestions. Thranduil had spent a lot of time with Meldamiriel when she was learning about her magic, so he actually knew quite a bit. Sarah progressed faster with his help.

Sarah, Edana, Legolas, and Tauriel, along with Elrond's three children, were all relaxing in the gardens one evening a few weeks after arriving. The conversation eventually turned to the king of Mirkwood.

"Things are definitely better than they were when I first learned he was my father," Sarah said, "but I can't shake the feeling that this is just the calm before the storm."

"His behavior has been rather odd lately," Legolas agreed. "He has acted more like a father to you in the last few weeks than he has to me in the last century."

"Well," Edana began, "now we know who his favorite child is."

Tauriel and Elrond's children laughed while Sarah rolled her eyes and Legolas glared at Edana, who tried and failed to keep a straight face. The laughter eventually died down.

"I have to admit," Elladan began, "even I am surprised by the way the king has been acting."

"Father is also concerned," Elrohir added. "He has told us that his conversations with the king as of late have been a bit troubling, though he will not tell us why."

"Perhaps because he knows that the two of you cannot keep your mouths shut," Arwen told her brothers, who put on innocent looks.

"Whatever he is planning," Legolas said, "it cannot be good. I know my father too well. He is not one to face problems head-on. He is more likely to run and hide in whatever ways he can think of that do not make him look like a coward." Looking around and meeting the eyes of everyone there, he added, "Do not tell my father I said that."

Everyone else tucked this little piece of information away for possible use as blackmail in the future.

"I just get the feeling that the longer we stay here the more likely he is to do something," Sarah said. "As beautiful as this place is, and as much as I love being here, I will be happy when we begin our journey back to Mirkwood."

The group from Mirkwood would be staying in Rivendell for only another week, so they did not have long to wait. To Sarah, however, every day between now and then was another day that Thranduil had at his disposal to carry out whatever he had planned. It was almost more scary than the thought of having a heart-to-heart conversation with him. She still didn't feel like it was the right time for that, but it seemed as if the right time would never come.

The twins, having felt that the conversation was becoming a bit too serious, switched it to a more cheerful topic. Sarah tried to have fun with the others, but it just wasn't working. The group continued to talk for another hour before separating for bed.

Sarah took the outdoor route to her room, walking through the gardens as much as she could before having to go back inside to reach her room. Along the way, she passed Lord Elrond's study. She heard voices and walked as quietly as she could in order not to disturb the conversation. She paused, however, when she recognized one of the voices as Thranduil's.

"It is for the best," the king said.

"The two of you have been getting along as far as I can see." That was Lord Elrond. "Very different from the stories I heard from Legolas."

"I only wish for us to part on good terms," Thranduil said. "She will not like this in the beginning, but she will soon see the wisdom in my decision."

Sarah wondered who her father was talking about. She had a suspicion, and she did not want to be right.

"You have not changed your mind then?" Lord Elrond asked.

"No," Thranduil answered. "Mirkwood is far too dangerous. Rivendell is protected in several ways. Sarah will be much safer living here."

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Dun dun DUN! What's gonna happen next? What's Sarah gonna do with this knowledge? Review and find out in the next chapter.


	15. Chapter 15

jayjay0815: Keep reading and find out.

AwkwardlyQuietThespian: Literature does that a lot – rip things apart: characters, your heart and soul. Sorry.

Pink bunny: Thanks.

Lithoniel: Glad I could surprise you.

Disclaimer: I do not own "The Hobbit."

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Chapter 15: Running Away

Sarah knocked on Edana's bedroom door, loud enough for the occupant to hear but quietly enough that no one else would. Edana opened the door, ready with a sarcastic comment for whoever decided to disturb her, and paused when she saw who it was and the look that was on Sarah's face.

"What happened?" Edana asked. "What's wrong?"

She stepped aside to let Sarah into the room and closed the door behind her. Sarah sat down on the bed, taking a few deep breaths before speaking.

"I was right," she said. "This was just the calm before the storm."

"What are you talking about?" Edana asked.

"Thranduil," Sarah answered. "I was right when I thought he was planning something. He plans to leave me here in Rivendell while the rest of you go back to Mirkwood."

"What!?" Edana whisper-shouted, not wanting to attract the attention of anyone they didn't want to hear this conversation. "How could he even think of doing something like that? How do you even know this?"

"I heard him talking to Lord Elrond while I was walking back to my room," Sarah replied. "He said that Mirkwood was too dangerous and that I would be safer living here."

"The only thing dangerous about Mirkwood is the man who rules it," Edana muttered angrily. "Are you going to confront him about it?"

"No. It would only cause more problems than it would solve." Sarah took another deep breath before continuing. "I'm going to run."

"What?" Edana exclaimed. "How is that going to solve the problem? I thought you were trying to let him back into your life."

"Me willing to let him back into my life isn't going to change a darn thing if all he's going to do is push me away," Sarah replied. "He's already breaking my heart just by planning to leave me behind. I won't give him any more opportunities to break it even more."

"Where are you even gonna go and do you have a plan to get there?"

"I was thinking about the Shire," Sarah said. "Orcs and wargs don't go there, and I'm sure the hobbits will have plenty of use for someone with wild magic. As to how I'm getting there, I was planning on taking a map that I saw earlier in Lord Elrond's study. I'm also going to ask the animals for guidance. They know the land better than anyone."

"Are you sure about this?" Edana asked with a worried tone.

"I would rather live my immortal life as a free woman than under Thranduil's rule if this is how he's going to treat me."

"Even if he's your father?"

"Especially because he's my father."

Edana was silent for a minute as she took all of this in. Finally, she sighed.

"When were you planning on leaving?" she asked.

"Tonight," Sarah answered. "I would go mad if I had to stay here any longer knowing what my father is planning for me."

"I'll stay behind to cover your tracks," Edana said, "and then I'll come join you in the Shire. I think I can manage suppressing my desire for adventure if it means keeping you safe. Plus, as a baker, I'll fit in just fine there."

Sarah gave her cousin-turned-sister a weak smile, then turned serious again.

"I'm going to need your help gathering supplies to get me through the journey."

"No problem," Edana said. "You go to your room and pack what you think you'll need and get the map. I'll head down to the kitchens and pack you some food, and maybe grab you a weapon or two for protection. Let's meet at the stables in one hour."

Sarah nodded, and the two girls set off to complete their separate tasks. Sarah packed a few sets of practical and simple clothes, nothing too fancy, and changed into the traveling clothes she had worn for the trip here. She also packed the few books she had on wild magic and animal anatomy. She had been studying up tremendously on that subject now that she knew she could heal animals. On her way to the stables, she stopped by Lord Elrond's study and grabbed the map she had mentioned to Edana.

Edana packed several items of food that were specifically meant for long journeys, though she did include some fresh fruit and some baked treats that would stay good for a few days. She also grabbed a large canteen and filled it up with water. She then went to the armory and took a couple of daggers, Sarah's training bow, a quiver, and several arrows.

The two girls arrived at the stables within minutes of each other. Sarah got there first, taking Cheyenne out of her stall and gently tying squares of cloth around her hooves to muffle the sound. She didn't saddle her up, as that would only waste time and she was perfectly fine going bareback. Edana helped her tie the packs of clothes and food onto Cheyenne. Sarah strapped the bow and quiver of arrows onto her person and hid the daggers in her boots. She and Edana then led Cheyenne out of the stables and to the path that led away from Rivendell in the direction of the Shire.

Sarah and Edana exchanged one last hug before Sarah mounted up.

"Don't take off the mufflers or go any faster than a walk until you can't see Rivendell anymore," Edana advised. "Try to travel mostly at night and rest during the day. Study the map and set a timeline for yourself with a certain destination to reach for every day. Try to go farther each time, though, if you can. Split up the food you have to last for that amount of days you planned. Refill your canteen at every water source you come to. Try to stay off the roads as much as you can."

"Edana," Sarah said, stopping her cousin's rant, "I'll be fine. I've taken the same wilderness survival courses that you have."

"Those courses were meant for the world we came from," Edana said. "A world without magic, where humans were the only race around and you only had to worry about being attacked by starving animals rather than orcs. Just be careful. I'll come join you when I can."

"Thank you for everything, Edana," Sarah said. "I'll see you in the Shire."

With that, Sarah gave Cheyenne the signal and started riding away. She didn't look back until she made it to the ridge overlooking the valley. Even then, she didn't stop until she couldn't see the lights of the city anymore, where she dismounted and took the cloths off of Cheyenne's hooves. Mounting again, she sighed.

"No time for second thoughts," she whispered before nudging Cheyenne into a canter.

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Next chapter, everything comes out in the open. Please review.


	16. Chapter 16

watergoddesskasey: Thank you.

AwkwardlyQuietThespian: You'll find out in this chapter, so keep reading.

booksfoodmusic-minion: Ok, ok! Here's the update. Calm down and read.

Pink bunny: Thanks.

SlytherinBtch: I hate when I start reading a fanfiction with a few chapters and it stops at a good part. But, hey, we writers have to end the chapter somewhere. If we didn't, you would just have one insanely long chapter that you would probably get tired of.

Disclaimer: I do not own "The Hobbit."

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Chapter 16: Missing

Thranduil noticed when Sarah didn't show up for breakfast, but he didn't worry about it. He assumed she was sleeping in. When Sarah didn't show up for weapons practice or lunch, he began to wonder. When Sarah didn't show up for her study sessions, he couldn't take it anymore.

"Has anyone seen Sarah at all today?" he asked everyone he met.

When they all told him that they hadn't, he started to search for her. He checked her room, but she wasn't there and there seemed to be some things missing. He checked the stables, but she wasn't there either and her horse was gone. He started to wonder if perhaps she had gone for a ride, but then wondered why she would go off without telling anyone. And that didn't explain the missing items from her room or how long she had been gone. Plus, Edana was still here. If Sarah was going somewhere, surely Edana would have gone with her.

Right?

Thranduil caught Edana as she was walking to the storehouses for more flour and sugar.

"Have you seen Sarah at all today?" he asked her.

"Not since I got up this morning to go to work," Edana replied.

It was true. Edana had gone back to bed after helping Sarah the night before, though she had not slept a wink. Unfortunately, Thranduil could tell that she was not telling him the whole truth.

"When was the last time you saw her?" he asked.

"Last night."

"When during the night and where?"

"Why are you asking me all these questions?"

Edana was starting to get irritated, and Thranduil could tell. Of course, based on her attitude towards him in the past, he thought her irritation was towards his interrogation.

"She did not show up for meals, training, or studying," he began, "and no one has seen her all day. There are things missing from her room and her horse is not in its stall. I am beginning to worry."

"Maybe you should have thought about that before you decided to leave her here while the rest of us went back to Mirkwood."

Whatever Thranduil had planned to say when he opened his mouth was cut off by an angry shout.

"You were planning to do WHAT!?"

Legolas walked into the hallway, followed by Tauriel, Elrond, and his children. Legolas stared at his father with a look of anger and pure hatred.

"How could you even think of leaving her here!?" he demanded to know.

"I thought it was for the best," Thranduil said in an attempt to justify himself.

"For the best!?" Legolas continued to shout. "How do you know what is best for her? You barely know her."

"I am her father."

"And I am her brother! I have spent more time with her than you have! When did you even decide to leave her here?"

"He sent me a note before you left Mirkwood," Elrond said, joining the conversation, "and asked that I make preparations for Sarah's stay here to become permanent."

"You knew about this?" his three children asked as they turned to him.

"I tried to convince him to change his mind," he told them, "but he was entirely set in his decision."

"That decision should have been Sarah's to make," Tauriel said, speaking up. "Though, after already being torn from everything she knew and dropped into a strange world, I highly doubt she would agree to live in an entirely new place with no familiar faces. Or were you planning to leave Edana behind as well?"

"Edana has chosen her position in my kingdom," Thranduil said. "She answers to me now."

Everyone, even Elrond and his children, who hadn't as of yet witnessed one of Thranduil and Edana's verbal spats, backed up a few steps. Edana was turning red with fury.

"EXCUSE ME!?" she screamed. "Listen, Sir Sassy-pants, I am not one of your subjects! You do not own me! You do not control me! The only reason I didn't walk out of your kingdom that first day was because of Sarah, and, now that you've practically kicked her out, there is nothing stopping me from kicking you pathetic elven butt all the way to Mordor!"

As Edana rolled up her sleeves and started towards Thranduil, some of the elves who had gathered around, drawn there by the noise of the argument, went to hold her back. They let go of her, however, when they felt that she was as hot as the heart of a volcano. Before anyone else could try to stop her without burning themselves, a few dozen gallons of ice water rained down on Edana's head, drenching her and cooling her off. Gandalf walked out of the crowd of elves.

"That is enough," he said in a voice that was way too calm. "Somebody take Edana and get her a change of clothes and a cup of calming tea. Thranduil, Elrond, if you and your children would come with me, we may try to find our missing princess. You may join us as well, Tauriel. Everyone else go back to your tasks. The excitement is over."

All the elves went their separate ways. One of the cooks, who had been sent to find out what was taking Edana so long, took hold of the stunned girl's shoulders and led her away. The others followed Gandalf into Elrond's study.

"One of my maps is missing," Elrond pointed out. He had noticed that morning that it was gone, but he hadn't wanted to say anything until he had an idea of who might have taken it. Now, he was sure who the culprit was. "Sarah must have taken it to help her find her way."

"What places were on this map?" Gandalf asked.

"It stretched from Rivendell to the Shire and showed all of the towns in between."

"I remember Sarah and Edana talking about the Shire," Legolas said. "They were wondering to themselves when they might have a chance to go and visit."

"You think she might have gone there?" Tauriel asked.

"It makes sense," Elladan said. "Anyone looking for her would most likely check the places she has already been to."

"The only other place she has been to is Mirkwood," Elrohir added, "and I am pretty sure she would not go there."

"I say we still search every town that was on the map," Elrond said, "and send some search parties back towards Mirkwood, in case she did go that direction. If she is indeed heading towards the Shire, we will find her eventually."

"It is getting late," Gandalf said, "There is no point in sending out search parties now. We will start off in the morning."

"We should start searching immediately," Thranduil said. "Every second we wait is another second that. . ."

"Quiet!" Gandalf shouted at the king. "You're the reason we're even in this mess to begin with. You do not get an opinion in this matter."

At that moment, Lindir walked into the room and caught the attention of everyone there.

"My apologies for the interruption," he said. "A pack of orcs has been spotted close to our borders. They appear to be headed in the direction of the Shire."

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Cliffhanger! What's gonna happen? Review and find out.


	17. Chapter 17

BlondiezHere: Thank you. I am planning a sequel story that focuses on Edana, explaining what she is and why she fell into Middle Earth with Sarah.

pink bunny: Thank you. I love cliffhangers too. Not as a reader, but as a writer.

Disclaimer: I do not own "The Hobbit."

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Chapter 17: Attack

Sarah and Cheyenne traveled until it was noon and stopped by a stream. Sarah got out the map and studied it, making note of how far she had to go and splitting it up, making note of landmarks to pass to make sure she had gone as far as she planned. When she was done with that, she took stock of the provisions Edana had given her, splitting up the food to match her planned travel time and eating lunch for that day – she had completely skipped breakfast.

Once she had her travel plan, she opened up her mind to the animals around her. She laid out her plan for them and asked them to spread the word on ahead. They agreed to make sure she kept on the right path. A fox pointed out a wild blueberry bush to her that was nearby. She found it and ate a handful, not taking too much to insure that there was still some left for the animals.

After all that, Sarah slept until nightfall. When it was dark she started off again, the nocturnal animals watching her and warning her about any obstacles in her path. They walked until late in the morning when Sarah had gone past her first landmark.

This cycle repeated itself for the next few days. Sarah would stop at late morning and check the map to make sure she was keeping up with her schedule. The animals would lead her to edible wild berries, nuts, and roots and clean water. If there was enough, she would eat just those instead of what Edana had given her. She still kept to her original rations for what food she had in case an emergency came up and she was delayed. She would then sleep until nightfall, when she would start traveling again. This system worked quite well and she was making good time.

Three days after she left Rivendell, Sarah felt something dark at the edge of her magical range. Wargs. And if there were wargs nearby, then there was bound to be orcs with them.

Sarah picked up the pace. She didn't stop at noon for any longer than it took to check the map and replenish her water stores. She slept on Cheyenne's back, the wise mare making sure that her rider didn't fall. This continued for two days.

Five days after leaving Rivendell, the birds reported to Sarah that the orc pack wasn't too far off and they were picking up speed. They didn't need to tell her though; her magic could sense the wargs. Sarah checked her daggers and took out her bow and notched it. She could feel Cheyenne tense up beneath her, ready to bolt as soon as her mistress gave her the signal.

The first warg came over the hill and sprang at the horse and rider. Sarah took it out with a single arrow, silently thanking Tauriel for the hours of lessons. Another warg followed, and then another. The third warg had an orc rider, and Sarah could sense more coming. She was outnumbered. She dug her heels into Cheyenne's sides and the mare sprang into a gallop.

Riding away, Sarah heard cries of pain in her magical ears. She had forgotten about her animal friends! Hundreds of birds attacked the faces of the orcs and wargs, pecking at their eyes and blinding them. Squirrels dropped heavy pinecones and branches from their places in the trees above. Foxes, raccoons, and badgers attacked the wargs' legs, making them trip and stumble. Obviously the orcs and wargs fought back, and many of the animals lost their lives defending and protecting their elven friend.

Sarah tried to stop them, tried to tell them to stay out of the battle, but they wouldn't listen. Every time one of her friends died for her, it felt like an arrow had pierced her heart. She gathered up what magic she could muster and threw it out to those animals who were wounded but not dying, doing what she could to heal them from a distance. It took quite a bit of energy out of her.

Suddenly, Cheyenne stumbled and fell, one of her legs breaking in the process. Sarah was thrown off and rolled away as the wargs set upon the fallen mare. Sarah didn't have time, however, to grieve as she felt Cheyenne's life slip away. The orcs had surrounded her.

Sarah pulled out her two daggers as the first orc charged at her. She ducked out of the way of his first slash towards her and swiped one dagger across his throat and plunged the other one into his heart. She turned her attention to another orc approaching her from the front, but she didn't see the one that had come up behind her. He grabbed her arms and pinned them to her side. The orc that was approaching from the front readied his sword. Sarah kicked him in the balls.

The orc holding her threw her into a tree as the one she had just kicked fell to the ground in pain. Sarah hit her head hard against the trunk and stumbled, dropping her daggers. She tried to shake away the black spots that now danced in front of her eyes and ignore the pain as she turned to the orcs and picked up her fallen daggers. She knew it was pointless, though. Even if she wasn't injured from the tree or exhausted from using her magic, there were too many of them and she was not experienced in actual combat or even skilled enough to handle so many. She mentally prepared herself to die.

Just as one of the orcs was preparing to finish her off, though, she felt something at the edge of her magical senses. Straining, because her magic was already weak and her injury only made it worse, she felt about a dozen horses and one elk ride into view. She smiled. Her father had come after her. Sarah let herself drop to the ground and allowed the blissful darkness of unconsciousness to roll over her.

* * *

Thranduil rode into view of the battlefield just in time to see his daughter fall to the ground. He wasted no time. He rode to the orc who was about to kill Sarah and decapitated him. The elves who were with him made short work of the remaining orcs and wargs.

As soon as there were no more enemies to slay, Thranduil dismounted and ran over to Sarah's fallen form. He checked her for injuries, only finding a bump on her head from hitting the tree. It was bleeding slightly. Other than that, there didn't appear to be anything wrong with her.

Thranduil picked up his daughter and cradled her in his arms, holding her close. He couldn't stop the tears that fell from his eyes. She was alive! She would be alright. He carried her over to Idhrenion and mounted again, turning the elk towards Rivendell and riding off, ignoring the other elves who watched him go.

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And you thought Mirkwood was dangerous, Thranduil.

Please review.


	18. Chapter 18

AwkwardlyQuietThespian: Even if he did change his mind, will Sarah want to return with him to Mirkwood?

Guest: Here you go.

pink bunny: There's actually a few sequels I'm planning. The one explaining who Edana is will probably be the last one I publish.

booksfoodmusic-minion: Thanks.

Disclaimer: I do not own "The Hobbit."

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Chapter 18: Returning to Rivendell

Sarah woke up and immediately noticed that she was lying on a cot. She opened her eyes and, looking up, saw the ceiling of a tent. Since she was obviously not in Rivendell, and she had traveled too far to make the journey back in one day, she concluded that she hadn't been asleep for very long. She turned her head to the side and was immediately met with a sight that both surprised and confused her.

Thranduil was sitting in a chair right next to the cot, fast asleep, a worried look on his face.

Sarah attempted to sit up, but a sharp pain in her head caused her to lay back down. She moaned as the pain faded to a dull throbbing. Her moan woke up Thranduil and he looked at her, the worry replaced with relief.

"Are you alright?" he asked as he placed one hand on her head and took her own hand in his other one.

"What do you care?" Sarah spat out. "You were the one who wanted to get rid of me."

She knew she was probably being a little too harsh, but she wasn't in the mood to be nice to this man who wanted to leave her behind in Rivendell.

Thranduil's face fell and the relief was replaced with hurt. He opened his mouth to say something, but the tent flap was pulled back just then and Edana entered, followed by Gandalf, Elrond, and Legolas.

"You're awake!" Edana cried, and she and Legolas ran over to Sarah's side. Thranduil stood up and stepped back, knowing that he wasn't going to get the chance to talk to Sarah alone now. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry. I never should have let you go off by yourself. I should have gone with you. I thought you'd be fine."

"I'm okay," Sarah answered. "I thought you were going to cover my tracks," she said with a playful smile.

"I was," Edana said with a guilty smile, "but Thrandy started asking where you were, and I got mad and started yelling at him, and Gandalf had to cool me down. Literally. He had to dump ice water on my head when I went to attack Thrandy. I actually burned two elves who tried to hold me back."

"Did your fire get out of control?" Sarah jokingly asked.

"Kinda sorta."

Sarah laughed as Elrond came over to check the wound on her head.

"What happened after I passed out?" she asked while Elrond removed the bandage and applied a salve to the wound before covering it again.

"We took care of the orcs and wargs," Legolas said. "We tried to get you back to Rivendell before you woke up, but it was too far. We rode hard for two days, only stopping to make camp an hour ago. You slept the entire time and did not react to anything."

He didn't think it necessary to mention that it had been Thranduil she was riding with during that time, considering he was the main reason for this whole mess.

"I'm surprised that you're awake so soon," Gandalf commented, "considering how much magic you used to heal the animals that fought for you."

"I couldn't just let them die," Sarah said with a serious face, "not when I could do something to save them, not after all they had done for me."

"You are lucky we arrived when we did," Elrond said as he finished rewrapping the wound. "If we had gotten there a minute later, you would have been dead."

"That would certainly solve a lot of my problems," Sarah replied bitterly. "Or, rather, it would solve my father's problem."

All was silent after that, and no one made a move to stop Thranduil as he walked out of the tent.

"He was just trying to protect you," Elrond said after the tent flap had closed behind the Elvenking.

"The only thing I need protection from is him."

* * *

They camped where they were until morning and then rode the rest of the way to Rivendell, Sarah riding double with Edana. They arrived there mid-afternoon. Thranduil disappeared almost immediately. Sarah didn't care. As far as she was concerned, the less he was around her, the better.

After dinner, Sarah and Edana met with Elrond in his study to discuss the girls' plans for the future.

"Are you absolutely sure the two of you do not want to return to Mirkwood?" he asked them.

"I can't go back there," Sarah said, "not until my father gets some sense knocked into him."

"I go where Sarah does," Edana told Elrond before turning to her cousin-turned-sister, "unless of course you've changed you mind about letting me knock that sense into Sir Sassy-pants?"

It took every ounce of self-control Elrond had to not burst out laughing.

"You are not going Rafiki on my father," Sarah told Edana for the thousandth time. Edana pouted.

"If you are absolutely sure," Elrond said, and the girls could hear a hint of amusement in his voice, "then I believe I have the solution. I received a message from Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel."

"You mean your in-laws?" Edana asked with a smirk as Elrond rolled his eyes.

"Yes, my in-laws," he confirmed. "They say that you are most welcome to live in Lothlorien if you wish to do so. You do not have to give an answer right away, but they would like a definite answer within a week."

"We'll think about it," Sarah said. "Thank you for telling us about their offer. Good night."

Sarah turned and walked out of the study and towards her room. As she walked out of the door, she heard Edana ask "So what's it like having the Lady Galadriel for a mother-in-law?" Sarah couldn't have held back her giggles even if she tried.

She thought about everything she knew about Lothlorien, playing the scenes from the movies in her head, as she walked to her room. Her mind turned blank, however, when she opened the door and saw Thranduil standing in the moonlight by the window.

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Cliffhanger! Next chapter, those two finally have the talk that they've been needing to have for the past ten chapters.

Please review and tell me what you think of this one.


	19. Chapter 19

BlondiezHere: Me and my cliffhangers. Oh, there's gonna be a hashing alright.

Transformers' BABY: Thank you. Here's the update.

Guest: I write my fanfictions like I would write a book. If this was a book, that cliffhanger would make a perfect chapter ending, but you wouldn't complain about it because you could just read the next chapter instantly without having to wait. I know cliffhangers with fanfictions are not fun for my readers, but I keep doing them because it keeps them interested. Glad you like my story.

pink bunny: One reviewer tells me to stop with the cliffhangers; another reviewer loves them. I'm so confused.

booksfoodmusic-minion: It makes the scene in Dol Guldur that much more funny.

Disclaimer: I do not own "The Hobbit."

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Chapter 19: Tears and Reasons

Thranduil turned around and faced Sarah when he heard the door open. Her face was blank for a moment, but then it turned angry.

"What are you doing here?" Sarah growled at her father, who winced at her tone.

"We need to talk," he said in a low voice.

"I've heard all you have to say," Sarah spat out, "and I don't want to hear any more from you."

"No, you have not," Thranduil replied, "and I do not care it you do not want to hear what I have to say. I am going to say it anyway and you are going to listen."

Sarah turned around and made to walk towards Edana's room, but a hand on her arm pulled her back and Thranduil closed the door, standing in front of it to prevent Sarah from leaving.

"Sit," he said, pointing to one of the two chairs at a table in the corner of the room.

Sarah, knowing that this wouldn't be like the last time they had a serious talk, reluctantly sat down, crossing her arms and glaring at her father. Thranduil pulled out the other chair and sat down, still placing himself between Sarah and the door.

"Let me explain why I did what I did," he began.

"I heard what you told Elrond," Sarah interrupted. "You thought, for some reason, that I would be safer here. Obviously, I wasn't. I was attacked by orcs."

"You were attacked because you ran off by yourself with no fighting experience into an unfamiliar land," Thranduil retorted. "If we had not arrived when we had, you would have been killed."

"I would rather be killed by orcs than live the rest of my immortal life knowing that my own father didn't want me!"

Silence. Sarah had been glaring at her father the whole time and didn't let up, even when she saw the confused and incredibly hurt look on Thranduil's face.

"You think I do not want you?" he asked in a voice so low that Sarah almost didn't hear him. "Nothing could be further from the truth."

"Oh, my apologies," Sarah said in her most sarcastic voice. "I should have known that you leaving me behind in Rivendell was actually a sign that you wanted me. My mistake."

"I do not want to see you end up like your mother!"

That threw Sarah off. She didn't have time to respond, however, before Thranduil started talking again.

"Your mother's death haunted me for many years. It haunts me still. I blame myself for staying away for so long, for not returning home fast enough. I blame myself for not doing a good enough job in protecting our borders and allowing a pack of orcs to attack. I blame myself for not being able to protect her and forcing her to reveal her powers to the orcs at all. Her death was my fault.

"When you came to Mirkwood, and I saw your mark and Gandalf revealed who you are, I was terrified. I was unable to protect my own wife from those who feared her powers. How was I supposed to protect my daughter who had the same powers? I was not going to allow such a tragedy to happen again. I would not be able to bear the guilt if any harm were to come upon you because of me.

"Mirkwood was not safe, but Rivendell was. Not only is it a difficult place to find by normal means, but it is also protected by magic in several ways. I knew that you would be safe from orcs here, and. . ." He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. "And you would also be safe from me."

He stopped talking, and Sarah noticed a single tear fall from his eye, the moonlight reflecting off the tear as it made its way down Thranduil's face. She didn't quite know how to respond to everything he had said, so she just decided to say what she had wanted to say to him since she first overheard his plans to leave her behind.

"You broke my heart," she whispered, looking Thranduil directly in the eyes. "I thought of several horrible reasons for why you would want to leave me behind. I heard what you said to Lord Elrond, but I thought that maybe you were just using that as an excuse to cover up the real reason. I couldn't stay here, and I knew I couldn't return to Mirkwood. I couldn't be anywhere that would be a constant reminder to me that my own father didn't want me anywhere near him. All the pain I ever felt at the hands of my dad couldn't compare to that, and he hurt me a lot.

"But you already know that. You heard what I said to Idhrenion, and you told me you heard what I said. And then you said that you wouldn't hurt me.

"You lied."

"I did not lie. I. . ."

"Yes, you did," Sarah interrupted him. "You said you wouldn't hurt me, but you did anyway. I told you I needed time to heal, and I was starting to. I know I pushed you away at first, but I thought we'd gotten close over the last few weeks. And now you're the one pushing me away."

"So now you know how I felt during those first couple of months," Thranduil said, trying to get a word in.

"But I let you back into my life," Sarah continued, refusing to let up. "It was always my intention to let you back in when I was ready. You were pushing me away forever."

"I was not pushing you away forever," Thranduil protested. "I was still going to let you be in my life."

"When would I be in your life?" Sarah asked. "Whenever you visited Rivendell? How often do you do that? Once every fifty years? Every century? Would I ever be allowed to visit Mirkwood, or would I be condemned to stay in Rivendell and never leave, trapped here like a prisoner? All you care about is what you want and what you think. Did you ever once stop to think about what I want or what I think?" She stood up.

"You're my father, Thranduil," she continued, "so start treating me like a daughter rather than a subject and maybe I'll start treating you like a father rather than an ruler."

She walked around Thranduil and opened the door, expecting him to grab her and pull her back. But he did nothing. Thranduil just sat there, staring at where Sarah had been sitting, as his daughter walked out of her room and towards Edana's. It was only when he heard her footsteps fade away that he let the rest of his tears fall.

* * *

When Edana got back to her room, after asking Elrond question after question about his in-laws, she was surprised to see Sarah sitting on the bed. Tear marks were evident on her face.

"What's wrong?" Edana asked, walking over to her. "What happened? Is it Thranduil? Did he do something again?"

Sarah just shook her head, not wanting to reveal the details of her very personal conversation with her father. Edana sat down next to her cousin-turned-sister and held her as she started crying again.

* * *

The next morning, the party from Mirkwood set out to return home.

Including Sarah.

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How was it? What did you think of their conversation? Was it too cheesy? Was it too much? There will be one more chapter after this. Please review and let me know your thoughts.


	20. Chapter 20

booksfoodmusic-minion: They talked it through. And "Thranduil needs to work on parenting skills" is a serious understatement.

Pink bunny: A necessary conversation indeed.

Disclaimer: I do not own "The Hobbit."

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Chapter 20: Starting Over

Sarah and Edana walked around Mirkwood's riding arena, setting up jumps, poles, and hay bales. A horse followed Sarah wherever she went: Dandelion, Cheyenne's blind son. Sarah had been working with him since she got back from Rivendell. She had been training him to go over jumps, walk over poles on the ground and through a line of standing poles, and around hay bales. She had started by telling him what to do with which obstacles through her magic, but then had developed a series of physical cues and verbal commands that she slowly taught him. Edana helped her by setting up obstacles and recording what they did and how many mistakes Dandy made, keeping track of his progress.

As Dandy got better and better, the obstacle courses that Sarah and Edana made up got harder. The sisters knew that he probably wouldn't be used much by anyone else, but they thought he would be good for simple pleasure riding and they had fun training him. Dandy had really bonded with the girls, having been pretty much ignored ever since he lost his sight. The girls loved him, and he loved them.

Quite a few people were gathered on the sidelines to watch, including several stable hands, Legolas, Tauriel, and even Calanon, who had been given the day off. Thranduil was there as well, watching Sarah carefully.

When the last obstacle was set up, Edana walked over to the sidelines next to Calanon, who handed her the notebook she used to record Dandy's progress. Sarah walked to the starting point, Dandy following her the whole way, and mounted up. Dandy wasn't wearing any tack, but Sarah was a good enough rider and bonded well enough with Dandy that she felt it wasn't needed.

At a signal from Edana, Sarah nudged Dandy into a trot. Together the two trotted over poles and around hay bales and cantered through standing poles and over jumps. By the time they reached the end of the course, Dandy hadn't made a single mistake.

The audience clapped as the pair made their way over to the gate, which Legolas opened to let them out.

"Not bad for one day's workout," Edana commented.

One day's workout for Dandy consisted of a ground-work warm-up, a riding warm-up, and five obstacle courses.

"Not bad?" Sarah repeated. "That was awesome. Those were some of the hardest courses we've come up with and he didn't make one mistake all day."

"All right, all right," Edana said. "You were great, Dandy," and she rubbed his neck and made her way up to the flower-shaped mark on his forehead that had earned him his name.

Dandy nickered and the girls laughed as they led him back to his stall, where they gave him a good brushing and rubdown and fed him lots and lots of treats.

As they left Dandy's stall, Sarah noticed that Thranduil was still there, almost as if he was waiting for someone.

"Are you coming?" Edana asked when she noticed that Sarah was hanging back. She had also noticed Thranduil, and was looking at him as if he was a poisonous serpent.

"You go on ahead," Sarah called to her sister. "I want to say hi to the elks first. Some of them get moody if I don't greet them at least once a day."

"Okay," Edana said in a worried tone, giving her sister a look that said "Be careful." Sarah sent one back that said "I will."

Edana gave Thranduil a look that promised a lot of pain before walking out of the stables. Sarah gave Dandy one last pat on the neck and headed for the elks. She was well aware that Thranduil was following her. Sarah stopped at the first elk while Thranduil walked past her and went straight for Idhrenion's stall. Sarah knew that Thranduil was setting up the perfect situation for a talk, as she always saved Idhrenion for last.

Sarah reached his stall and held out a treat for him to take. As he took it, Sarah heard a voice in her mind.

_An entire year has passed since you came back to Middle Earth, yet you and your father are still acting like complete strangers towards one another._

"Not responding to that," Sarah said.

_Technically, you just did _Idhrenion said with a mental laugh.

Thranduil, who had not heard the elk's comment, turned to Sarah with a confused look.

"I haven't said anything yet."

"I was talking to him," Sarah said, pointing to the elk.

"Oh. What did he say?" Thranduil asked.

"Nothing I want to repeat right now."

There was silence. Sarah and Thranduil hadn't spoken to each other much since their talk that night in Rivendell, and the tension between them had returned.

"You and your sister have really come a long way with Dandelion," Thranduil finally said, breaking the silence.

"I learned that Cheyenne had had a colt," Sarah replied, "so I thought I should let him know what had happened to his mother. When he told me he was blind and how he'd been treated since he lost his sight, I just felt so sorry for him. I knew I had to help him."

"What do you mean 'how he'd been treated'?" Thranduil asked.

"Cast off," Sarah answered. "Ignored. Unloved. Wondering what he did wrong and how things could have been different. He was just a shell when I first met him. He didn't want to feel the pain anymore, so he stopped feeling anything at all."

There were a few seconds of silence, and then. . .

"Are you still talking about Dandy, or are you talking about yourself?"

Sarah was so shocked by the question that she jumped and dropped the last treat in her hand that she'd been holding out for Idhrenion.

_Hey!_

Sarah ignored the elk's protests, instead staring at her father. The Elvenking stared back at her.

"I was selfish," he continued. "I was clinging to the past so much that I forgot to live in the present. I let my fears cloud my judgment. It was unfair of me to try to push you away, especially when you were making efforts to get close to me. I am sorry."

He started to walk away, and Sarah finally snapped out of her trance.

"Father," she called after him.

Thranduil stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Sarah, surprised. She had never called him Father. Sarah walked up to him.

"I'm sorry as well," she said. "I was also living in the past and letting my fears control me. I never felt like my dad loved me, and I didn't know what kind of father you would be towards me. A part of me was afraid that you would be just like him. I was running away from my problems when I should have been facing them." She paused for a minute, then continued. "Can we just start over?"

Thranduil didn't answer. Instead, he just threw his arms around Sarah and hugged her close. Sarah was shocked by this out-of-character show of affection, but she shook it off and hugged him back.

"Yes," she heard him say. "We most certainly can."

$#%^%$^&amp;(&amp;*)#^ %$%#!#$%&amp;*^%&amp;(_)^*%&amp;$&amp;%#%!$# % $#%&amp; %$~#

How was that ending? We'll see these characters again, just not in this story. For now, review this one and I'll have the next one out as quickly as I can.

Amalthea Shine.


End file.
